


Lost On Crait

by Starwarsgirl



Series: Episode 8 1/2 [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Action/Adventure, Brotherly Love, Caring, Cold, Cold Weather, Crait (Star Wars), Crystal critters, Cuddling & Snuggling, Eating ice rats- thats right, F/M, Fluff, Huddling For Warmth, Male-Female Friendship, Monster - Freeform, Poe/rey/finn/rose are buddies, Protecting Eachother, Protectiveness, Relationship(s), Rey gets injured, Rose and rey are friends, Snow and Ice, feel good story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-06-23 05:52:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 21,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15599754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starwarsgirl/pseuds/Starwarsgirl
Summary: While fighting the First Order Rey and Finn crash their small ship on the surface of Crait, finding themselves in an area where there is no food, water, or people. They are lost, and have no way to get back to their base. With both of them cold and hungry, will they be able to overcome the freezing temperatures and find help in time?I gift this work to JTSkywalker. Thank you so much for all the wonderful feedback, and I wouldn't have ever gotten here without you.





	1. Fear

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JTSkywalker](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=JTSkywalker).



> Before you read this, I have a warning for you. This chapter includes burns from fires, and also deaths. SPOILER: Not any major characters are injured though, and it's not too graphic. But if you have a serious fear of fires or bombs, this chapter is not for you.

Rey panted heavily as she sprinted down the halls, nearly tripping on her own feet as she ran. The enemy attack sirens roared in her ears. Earlier, right before the sirens had started, there had been a loud explosion. Smoke filled the halls as panicking people escaped from the ammo storage room. 

But Rey wasn't running away from the fiery room, She was running towards it. Earlier that day Finn was on duty to go store all the new gear and bullets that they had just shipped in. But now her friend was nowhere to be found. 

She feared the worst.

The smell of burning metal blew in her face. The ammo room was close. She dashed around the corner and bumped into an injured pilot. He was coughing severely as he stumbled past her. 

 "Where is everyone?!" She asked, having to yell above the piercing sirens.

The pilot turned around to face her. Rey gasped in horror as she saw the burnt skin covering his face. His eyes were swollen shut, and she wasn't sure if he could see. 

 "They're all dead!" He wheezed, clutching at his chest as he struggled to breathe."Burnt to a crisp. Don't go in there honey, you'll die too!" 

Rey felt the icy dear rise in her body. "No...no..." She breathed. Her heart pounded as she ran past the man and into the doorway of the ammo room. 

Tears began to gather in her eyes as she saw the damage before her. The entire room had been blown to pieces, all their ammo was gone. Bodies were scattered everywhere, and the sickening scent of burnt flesh filled the air.

She felt herself grow sick as her eyes scanned across the room. Add far as she knew, none of the bodies were Finn's. The sirens had stopped now. 

Rey suddenly felt someone lay a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and spun around, meeting the dark eyes of her friend. "Finn!" She cried, " I...I thought... " she leaned forward and hugged him. "Where were you?" 

 He embraced her tightly and panted into her hair. He seemed to be about as shocked as she was. " I-I left this room to go grab some water for all of us. Next thing I know, I hear a huge explosion and shouting. So i came sprinting down the halls to see what happened. "

 They both watched as multiple medics flew past them, carrying stretchers and first aid kits. They scurried into the burning room, attempting to find any survivors. 

 "What happened?" Rey asked one doctor as he passed her. 

 "The first order is attacking," he responded shakily, "They dropped a massive bomb on us, we're lucky it didn't take out the entire base." He rushed into the smoke filled room. 

 "This is bad...  Almost all our pilots were just killed..." Finn whispered fearfully. 

Rey gasped in horror, "Wait... Those were pilots on there...Where is Poe!? Is he ok?!" 

 Finn nodded, "He's fine, he's eating in the lunch room with Rose and the other pilots." 

Rey breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good. Oh, I bet they're freaking out about us." 

 The sirens started up again.

 "They're coming back for another round!" Someone shouted from the back, "Get out! Get out! Take cover!" 

 Rey felt Finn take her arm. "Hurry!" He told her as he led her down the hall. 

 "Where will we go?!" Rey yelled from behind him, " There's no safe place in this area! " 

They stopped running and scanned the rooms around them. Rey caught sight of a large metal water fountain. It would be better than nothing. 

 "Follow me!" She cried as she dove underneath the metal box. Finn quickly followed her. They both had their backs pressed against the cold wall, watching wide eyed as people sprinted past them. 

 A loud whistling sound appeared around them. "Hold on!" Finn shouted over the blaring sirens. Rey felt him press her against the stone wall, and then lean on her as he covered her with his body. 

Before she could protest, the walls around them fell. 

And everything became a fiery explosion. 


	2. The Maze Of Flaming Hallways

The smell of smoke filled Rey's lungs as she finally opened her eyes. Her ears rang from the explosion. The sirens had stopped now, no longer bursting her eardrums with its warning. She glanced up to see that Finn still had his arms wrapped around her. His face was covered in dust. 

He looked down and met her eyes, "Are you alright?" 

 Rey nodded and sat up straight. She looked around at the horrific scene. Everything was gone... The entire roof had been blown off, and the blue sky shone above them. The walls around them no longer stood, and debris covered the halls. The cries of injured people shattered the air. 

Finn stood and helped Rey up. They both stood in the center of the hall, gazing awestruck at the destruction around them. 

"Oh my gosh..." She breathed. 

They couldn't believe their eyes at how much damage there was. Entire roofs were completely crushed in, blocking multiple paths to their exit. The walls had fallen over, including the one that they had been leaning against. It was a miracle that they had lived through this. 

Rey heard the shattering engines of the time fighters as they flew away. They were miles away now, nearly out of sight. She watched them as they suddenly took a quick turn and headed back for the base. 

"No!" She gasped, making Finn spin around to see what she was pointing at, "They're coming back for a third round!" 

Finn copied his hands to his mouth and shouted. "Everyone! Take cover now!" 

The panicked voices grew louder as they caught sight of the Tie Fighters. The ships sped towards the base, showing no signs of slowing down. 

 "Stay with me!" Finn faced Rey and shouted over the cries of the people. He ran ahead of her, attempting to find a path through all the fallen rubble and concrete. 

She scrambled close behind, following his orders and refusing to look away from the back of his brown jacket. 

Finn leapt over a large concrete slab. 

Rey stumbled over the rock and fell down. Her knees banged against her hard ground, causing her to yelp.

She sat back up straight and treaded along after Finn. 

He had spun around at her cry, and began running back to her. "Are you ok?!" He asked her loudly. 

"I'm fine!" She responded. But before she could say any more, piles of debris above them began to tip over. 

"Watch out! " Finn yelped and dove after her. He hit her hard in the side and they both toppled over, the large pile just barely missing them. 

Rey lay on her back, dazed. He gently lifted her off the ground and brushed her off. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

 She smiled as she caught her breath. "It's fine, if it weren't for you I would be smashed under that pile."

He glanced behind them. The pile of debris now covered their path to the rest of the base. The Tie Fighters were almost over them now. 

"We aren't going to make it!" Rey shouted, looking up into the crisp blue sky at the two attack ships. Her eyes were wide with fear. 

She felt Finn clutch her hand, "Don't let go!" he barked. 

They turned around and ran hand in hand down the demolished hall. The roaring of the ship's engines were growing closer by the minute. The two of them came upon a fork in the path. Finn held her hand tightly as he looked from one to another, unsure of which one to choose. Rey glanced up at him and saw that his face was full of panic. 

She suddenly remembered a trick that Luke had taught her. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, reaching out with the force down both pathways.  

The first path led to a fiery mound,  an area they would not want to go to. The second path was longer, and led into an open door. Doctors and concerned people waited at the entrance as multiple people ran into it for shelter. 

Then she suddenly felt another strange feeling. 

She squinted her eyes harder, trying to remember who this particular soul is. 

Then it suddenly bust into her mind. 

_Poe!_

Poe was there. In the doorway, she could see the scared expression on his face as he looked frantically for his two friends. 

Rey opened her eyes and realized that Finn was watching her face in puzzlement. 

"What are you doing?" 

Rey pointed down the right passageway. "There! Follow me!" Still holding hands, she led him down a fiery hallway. The blue sky above them was nearly enveloped in flames as they ran deeper into the path.

Both her and Finn were coughing now. 

 "Are your sure this is the right way?!" Finn yelled at the top of his lungs. 

She glanced back at him and batted her teeth in determination. "I just know! Hurry!" She led him further into the fire. 

Even though it looked discouraging for them, Rey some how didn't have any sense of fear. She trusted fully in the force to show her the way, and went where her mind told her to go.

"How do you know?!" Finn asked nervously.

_Finn just saved me, now it's time to save him._

She furrowed her eyebrows in determination. 

"Trust me!"


	3. Time for battle

Rey leapt into the flaming hall. Pieces of the roof covered the ground and ashes fell around them. 

She held Finn's hand tightly.

_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all..._

_Did the force fail me?_

She glanced back where she had came from, and saw that their only exit was blocked by massive flames. There was no turning back now. 

 "What are we going to do?!" Finn yelped as he quickly brushed an ash off his arm. "There's no way out!" 

Rey shook her head and furrowed her eyebrows. Still holding his hand, she kept running. 

"Rey?! Rey?!" Finn protested. 

But she ignored his fearful complaints. 

As they both speed around a corner, they heard a voice out in the distance. 

"Rey! Finn! Are you out there?!" 

Finn gasped as he heard the voice. "Poe!" He called, "We're coming!" 

 The pilot cried out in joy. "Hurry! They're about to close the doors!" 

 Finn sped towards his voice, Rey close behind him.

She breathed a sigh of relief, they were almost to safety. She did choose the right way. They both ran farther down the flaming maze. 

 Both her and Finn were breathing heavily now. Rey could feel her head start to grow light. The smoke was getting to her! 

 "Finn." She coughed, "I don't feel so good..." 

 He looked over his shoulder, "I know, I'm starting to feel it too. But we can't stop moving or we'll die." 

Rey nodded and followed him silently. After a few moments, she could hear voices shouting out. Then they could suddenly make out Poe as he stood in a doorway. Multiple people were gathered around him, crying out for their loved ones. 

She felt sick, realizing that the rest wouldn't make it out alive. 

The flames were growing around them, nearly reaching the door where Poe stood. The door that led to the safety of the rest of the base. Two men sprayed large containers of water onto the path that Rey and Finn were on. 

Poe sprinted to them as they appeared.

 "Go! Go! Go!" He shouted as he ran beside them into the building. Just as Rey stepped foot into the room, she heard the door close behind her. 

She spun around and banged her fists into the metal door. "No! No!" She cried, looking through the small window. Flames enveloped her view of the outside. "We can't! There's more people out there!" 

 Rey was about to pull down the handle until Finn came up behind her and gently pulled her away. 

 "Don't open it! We'll all die!" 

 " But... But what about -"

 "They are all dead." Finn said a bit too harshly. She looked back at him with a shocked expression, and he immediately regretted his words.

He placed a hand gently on her shoulder, as if he were talking to a small child. "They are gone, Rey. There's no way we can save them." 

Rey stared at him in disbelief. "But...but there could still be survivors! They might have found a way out and-" she stopped talking. She was staring at the sobbing crowd behind them. 

_I should've went back. I should've never left them all behind!_

Poe cleared his throat, "We need to stop them from destroying any more of the base." He glanced over at Rey and Finn, "We need to collect pilots to fly into battle with me." 

 Finn stepped forward, " You've got one. " 

Rey nodded, "I'm two." She looked back and realized that the crowd had gone silent as they listened to Poe. One man held up his hand, "Three." 

 " Four" 

 "Five"

 "Six" 

 "Seven" 

Multiple people raised their hands to volunteer. Poe's grin widened as he saw them. 

 "Alright," he said. " Lets do this men! " 

Around 20 men cheered and followed their new leader down to the xwings.

Walking past Rey,  Poe looked over and winked. "And lady." 

She smirked as he passed her, then she glanced over at Finn. Before she could say anything, he spoke. " Are you with me?" He asked, motioning his head in the direction of the xwings. 

She nodded, "Always." 

And they walked side by side down the hall, ready for battle. 


	4. Chaos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, yes I know, it's been quite a while since I've updated my story. Please forgive me. I've been super occupied with school, soccer, and karate. I've had a busy week! I want to apologize to everyone. Sorry about my slacking! XD. Please enjoy! 
> 
> (P.S. Don't forget to leave comments! ;-D)

A giant boom vibrated the ground, nearly toppling Rey over. "Where do we go?!" She yelped as she stumbled. 

She glanced over to see Finn standing beside her, his eyes rapidly scanning for an open ship.

The entire room was crowded with panicked people. She knew that it was useless to calm them all down, more bombers were coming. She could sense the electrifying engines as they began to come around for another hit.

Poe motioned with his head, "Follow me!" He yelled over the cries and shouts of lost people.

He sprinted off without looking back. Rey started after him quickly. She knew that if they got separated in this mess, it would be nearly impossible for them to find eachother.

The sounds of people's feet thundered the floor behind her. She glanced back once to see Finn on her heels, his lips parted as he panted heavily. His brown eyes were gazing into hers, his expression was serious. But as if he couldn't hold it in, he smirked at her for a split second. And then his focused expression returned. She couldn't help but to grin back. 

She turned back to the front as she nearly collided with Poe. She breathed heavily as she stepped back and watched his face for instructions. 

He stood there sweating like crazy, talking to a fellow rebel. "Why isn't there pilots already out there?! " he shouted. "Where are they?! "

The rebel glanced over at him. "They are all gone!" He cried, "We are the last ones!" 

She watched as Poe's face became ghostly pale. He nodded and urged the rebel to move along.

The pilot motioned his head to the side as he pointed. Rey could just make out the gleaming metal of the multiple Xwings parked in another room, ready for takeoff.

"Everyone! Get in those ships!" Poe barked over the shouts and sirens, "Then follow me!" 

 Rey followed him as he ran ahead to his own Xwing.  After he jumped into the seat, he brought his fingers up to his lips and make a sharp whistle that made everyone jump. "BB8! Come on!" 

Rey heard the whirring of the droid before she saw him. He appeared out of the crowd, somehow miraculously finding his way through the chaos. She had no time to greet the small ball as he sped past her and rolled up underneath Poe's ship. He beeped excitedly as a robot arm reached down and lifted him into the Xwing. 

 Then the pilot lifted his com, "If you don't have a droid to ride with you, grab a partner. It's best to travel in pairs." 

Rey stopped running and glanced to her side. Finn was still there, standing beside her facing Poe. His eyes snapped from his old friend's to hers. 

 "Partners?" She asked.

 "You bet."

 They both ran past Poe's ship. Staying side by side add they ran through the crowds. All the ships were either taken our blown up, and everything seemed hopeless. Then suddenly she realized that Finn was no longer next to her. "Over here!" She heard him shout. She peered over the heads of people to see him quite a bit a-ways away. 

_Good thing I'm somewhat tall..._

 She had no idea how he had gotten so far ahead of her. He was running across the room towards an empty Xwing, his hand waving at her to follow. 

A loud roar filled the room, a familiar sound.... And then even more screams began to erupt. 

_The bombers had come back for another round._

 Finn spun around and yelled something at her that she couldn't hear.

The sounds of roaring engines and screaming people smothered his voice. 

But she could tell by his eyes that he had screamed her name.

People began to evacuate the giant takeoff room. She kept her eyes on Finn as she attempted to make her way to him. He was standing near the Xwing, waiting frantically for her to jump in with him.

The screeching of the engines were growing louder by the second, and in only a few moments the building would be blown to pieces. 

Rey was so close to Finn now. She was near enough to see his scar that traveled down his shoulder.

_That scar.... Leaving both him and Rey with bad memories._

She snapped out of her trance as she heard the cry of a child. 

Rey had heard that voice before, one from a faint memory... A faint memory of herself at a young age.... When her family left her...

She jerked around and saw a little girl, no younger than 4, standing in the middle of the crowd. Tears ran down her face as she looked around fearfully. Across the room stood her mother, eyes scanning throughout the crowd as she screamed for her daughter. 

The screeching of the engines were almost above them now.

Rey glanced back at Finn, who was looking at her quizzically. Multiple layers of stone laid above him, shielding him from any explosions.

_He can escape, good._

Above her and this child was only flimsy concrete, which was sure to fall down and crush them all. She couldn't let this child die...

Rey took a deep breath, and before she knew it, she sprinted towards the sobbing girl. 


	5. Hero

In one quick motion, Rey swooped the small girl up in her arms and began to run towards her mother. The child reached up and wrapped her arms around her neck. 

Rey had never ran so fast in her life. She felt a though she was flying as her legs galloped beneath her. 

Then a sharp, familiar whistle filled the air...

 She refused to give up. 

Beads of sweat began to cover her forehead.

In the doorway in front of her, they were now forcing and shoving people into the safety rock building. The little girl's mother reached through the security guards. She was sobbing as she screamed for her child. One guard started to slide the door close. 

"Wait! Wait!" Rey shouted breathlessly. "We have one more!" 

The guard spun around, revealing the panicking mother. Her wide eyes met Rey's as she caught sight of her. She covered her mouth with her hand and cried out in joy. 

Rey finally made it to the door. She quickly handed the girl to the guard, who handed her to her mom. 

Rey didn't stay to see the reunion, she turned and sprinted back to her ship. Finn was running towards her now. "What are you doing?!" He shouted over the loud whistling. 

Although he was running, he was still under rock. Rey glanced up and saw that she was still under concrete. 

 _I can make it... I can make it..._  

But she didn't make it...

The bomb crashed down above her, sending concrete slabs and rocks shooting past. Fire blasted in her face. She was knocked to the floor by the explosion. As she began to stand up some object hit her in the head, and the last thing she saw was the outline of Finn as he fell to the ground.

*******************************************

 The surroundings were fuzzy as she finally came to. Dust covered everything and smoke filled the air. The smell of burning substances burned her lungs, making it difficult to breathe.

Rey attempted to sit up, but her legs wouldn't move. "Wha?" She uttered as she glanced down at her feet. But to her horror, she didn't even see her feet. A massive slab of rock lay over her legs, holding them down. 

She began to panic. "No...no...no!" She cried as she attempted to lift it off of her. But it was no use, it didn't even budge. It was too heavy. She closed her eyes and attempted to focus. Trying her hardest, she tried to use the force to lift it off of her. But it still didn't move. 

Suddenly a great creaking noise was heard.

Rey glanced up and gasped. Above her another giant rock of concrete threatening to crush her. It hung over the side of a very unstable metal beam. One gust of wind, and it would come toppling down upon her. 

 "Finn? Finn?!" She shouted. "Are you ok?!" 

 Silence answered her, and she began to fear the worst. The thought of him dying sickened her.

But before Rey had any time to think of worst case scenarios, the slab of concrete above her began to crumble. She tried to pull out her legs from underneath the rock. Her fingernails scraped the rough surface of the concrete as she tried to push it off. 

With a loud crash, the slab above her finally slipped over the edge of the beam.

The Jedi stared into her doom as it toppled down upon her. 


	6. Bribing

Rey closed her eyes and focused as hard as she could on the falling rock above her. 

_Reach out....focus....._

A voice echoed in her mind.

 "Luke?" She whispered. But the voice didn't return.

Her breathing slowed as she began to concentrate. Taking deep breaths, she finally began to somehow  _feel_ the rock stop tipping over. 

Rey opened her eyes and saw that the boulder had indeed stopped falling. It was floating in midair. She attempted to lift the large metal object from her legs. She began to focus again, except this time on the metal thing. But the concentration suddenly faded away as the boulder above her began to fall downward again. 

She yelped and lifted her hands, holding the boulder in place once more. It was only a few feet from her head now... One more mess up and she'll be crushed for sure.

Very, very slowly she moved the rock away to the side. When it was finally not hovering over her anymore, she let it drop. A large crash echoed throughout the room. The drop sent tiny rocks and pellets flying everywhere. 

Rey blocked her face with her hands, feeling the small stings as they shot across her fingers. when they finally stopped she breathed a sigh of relief and glanced around.

"Finn!" She called out, " You okay!? " 

She listened intently, waiting for his response. 

Total silence, and her heart began to drop drastically. 

But suddenly his deep voice broke out from behind a pile of cement. His head appeared above the debris as he began to make his way to her.

She gleamed at him as he approached her. His eyes widened as he saw her legs trapped underneath the giant object.

 "Are you hurt?!" He cried as he ran to her side, " What happened?! "

Rey shrugged, "The bomb made this stuff topple down on me. You should've seen the boulder i stopped earlier." She motioned her head towards the big rock beside them. 

 "THAT fell on you?!" He asked bewildered, " How'd you stop it? " 

 "I used the force." 

"The Force is that strong?" 

" Apparently so, yes."

"Hmm..." Finn rubbed the sweat off his forehead, "Could you use the force to lift that thing off of you?" 

 Rey shook her head, " I already tried. " 

 "Try again." 

" I told you, I wasn't strong enough. "

"Just try." He urged, " See what happens now that your a bit relaxed. " 

"I'm not relaxed." 

He eyed her, "Come on, I want to be here to laugh at you as you fail." 

This caught her attention. "What? I'm not going to fail!"

" Will you? "

The mischievous grin spread across his face was impossible to ignore. 

 She rolled her eyes and shut them tightly, trying to focus deeply in the object in top of her. She reached her hand out as she felt the motionless air around them.

After a few moments Finn chuckled, nearly breaking her concentration. 

 "You're doing it, keep on." 

Gaining confidence, she opened her eyes and saw that the metal frame was lifting off of her. Just like the boulder earlier, she slowly moved it to the side. 

It hit the ground with a  _clang_. She leapt up from the floor and brushed herself off. She glanced up and smiled at her friend. 

 "Looks like I didn't mess up huh?!" 

Finn shook his head and laughed. "And that's how you bribe a child! Give them a challenge and tell them they'll fail." He lifted his arms, "It's as easy as that!" He laughed heartily and bounded towards the open Xwing. 

She shook her head angrily as she ran after him, "I'm not a kid!" 

 "Now, now dear. " He stopped in front of the ship and patted her head, his hand messing up her buns. She couldn't believe what he was doing. "Will you be ok with this mission, or will I have to take you down to Rose's daycare?"

Her hazel eyes stared at him in disbelief. She stood there speechless, not knowing what to say.

He chuckled, "That's what I thought." 

She shook her head and snapped back into reality. She bared her teeth,"What did you just say to me?" 

Finn had crawled up the ladder and sat down in the pilot's seat. Without meeting her eyes, he patted the seat behind him, " You heard what I said, peanut."

_Peanut... She hated that nickname and he knew it._

"Fine!" She muttered as she climbed up the ladder and into the ship. She pressed the button to close the clear glass above their heads.

"Lets go Flyboy." 


	7. Risks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'm so sorry i haven't updated in so long. School had been kicking my butt. I live on the coast of NC and last week we evacuated from the hurricane, so that took up a lot of time too. Please pray for my neighbors who stayed there during the storm. A lot of them had trees crash through their roofs, and we aren't sure how our house is doing. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks for reading!

"How do you start these things again?" Rey stared hopelessly at the millions of colorful buttons on the dash before her.

Finn turned around and pointed to a red lever, "That's the engine and there's the brake. Over here is the steering system, not much different from the Falcon." 

 She nodded slowly and glanced over her shoulder, "And where are the guns?" 

 "I'm in control of those!" He said happily and spun around to face his screen, "Don't worry about them. Now c'mon, let's go."

Rey breathed in nervously as they gently lifted into the air. Then the ship began to float across the room smoothly. 

 "Ok, ok." She grinned, " This isn't too bad. "

 "When we get outside, it's gonna be too loud to hear each other's voices." Finn said as he slid on a helmet. "Com links working?" 

 But instead of hearing him behind her, his deep voice blared into her ear. She adjusted the helmet so she could hear him clearly. "It's working, can you hear me?" 

 From the corner of her eye she could see him give a thumbs up, "Loud and clear." 

Her and Finn were back to back. Crammed tightly into the small ship, she didn't have nearly as much foot room as she had in the Falcon. But she was glad that he was her partner, and that they were able to go on this dangerous mission together. The two of them were a good team, even the other pilots said so. And it was nice having someone she trusted so much beside her. Rey knew he continuously watched her back, and she always returned the favor. 

At this moment, she felt as if were her duty to protect the both of them.

The moment they flew out into the crisp air, the entire world erupted into combat chaos. Xwings flew here and there, shooting at the Tie Fighters on their tails. Thick smoke filled the once blue sky, and red dust flew up from the ground as the planes crashed below them.

 "Woah!" Rey yelped as she swerved away from a flaming ship. It's wing scraped the side of their xwing, almost knocking it down. Her arms were shaking as she gripped the lever tightly.  She began to breathe heavily as loud blasts of bombs and bullets screamed in her ears.

_Maybe I was wrong... Maybe I can't do this._

 "Hey," Finn's voice appeared in her com link. She felt him reach his hand back towards her and grip her shoulder. She began to relax at his gentle touch. "Don't freak out Rey, we can do this. We've done it before." 

_He's right, no time for panic._

She shook her head and focused on the hellacious world outside her windshield. "Lets find Poe, where is he?" 

 Finn released her arm and pressed a button on the side of his helmet. "Poe? Rogue leader do you copy?" 

 Rey listened as the pilots words blared into her ears. 

 "Finn! Am I glad to hear you! Where have you been?" 

 She quickly dodged a laser from a Tie Fighter above them. Swerving to the side, she began to talk to Poe as Finn shot at the ship. 

 "We were caught inside for a bit."

_Best not to give too many details I suppose..._

 She made a sharp turn around a rock and saw the flames behind them as it crashed into the corner. 

 " We just got out here, where is everone? " Finn asked.

 Wait." The pilot spoke, "Are you and Rey together?" 

Finn paused for a few seconds, "Uh...what?" She could hear the nervousness in his voice. 

She smirked amusingly and responded back to the pilot, "Yes, we are in an Xwing. Rogue 5 I think?" 

She could hear her friend breathe out a sigh of relief, which made her grin even more.

_Poor Finn..._

It embarrassed him so much when he was asked a question like that. So many people  _assumed_ that they were a couple, just because of how much they would hang out together. The fake gossip spread throughout the base quickly. It took them months to convince everyone that they were only good friends. By how much they'd gone through together, how couldn't they? Nothing was wrong with having such a close friendship with a man, right?

She winced as a laser crashed into her windshield. 

"Where did that come from?!" 

"Tie Fighter, 12:00!" Finn shouted as he shot out a stream of bullets. 

"What does that even mean?!" 

" I don't know! "

Rey pressed down the throttle and shot through giant glaciers. Somehow the Tie Fighter managed to follow them.

"He's still on our tail!" Finn yelped behind her, "I can't shoot him! What are we going to do?!" 

 She took a quick glance behind her. The Fighter was indeed still chasing them. She spun back around and growled. 

"Hold on!" 

She aimed the xwing downward and flew towards the ground. She could hear Finn scream behind her.

 "What are you doing?! Are you crazy?!" 

Rey ignored his cries and watched intently out the window as the white ground began to grow closer and closer.

"Pull up!" He yelled.

"Hush!" 

She kept soaring towards the ground, showing no signs of pulling up. The Tie Fighter was still on their tail shooting at them.

_I hope this works!_

They were only a couple hundred feet from the ground now. Rey could even see the powdery snow float into the air as the winds blew it.

 "Pull up!" Finn cried, "Pull up!"

 Rey kept flying down.

 "No no no! Pull up! Pull up! Pull up! Pull up! Pull up!" 

 At the very last second Rey finally yanked the throttle upward, sending the xwing soaring away. She heard the crash as the Tie Fighter exploded into flames below them. 

 "Yeah! That's how you fly a ship!" Rey cheered. "Did you see that?!" 

She could hear Finn panting nervously behind her, "What is wrong with you?! We could've been killed!"

 " I know. " She said simply.

 "I know? That's what you've got to say?! Remind me to never ride with you again."

 Rey giggled, "Sorry." 

Poe's voice suddenly blasted in her ear, " Attention Rogue team! First Order is sending reinforcements, get ready for some more action! Everyone meet me above the base." 

 " Goodie. " Rey said as she turned the ship around and flew them back to the base.

 Finn shook his head, "No goodie, we don't need any more Tie Fighters."

Rey shrugged, "I'd rather do this instead of saber fighting." 

 " You're crazy. "

"I know."


	8. Trapped

Before they could reach the rest of the squadron, multiple Tie Fighters came barreling after them. Rey yelped and spun the ship around. 

"Woo hoo!" Finn cheered as he blew up a ship, "One down! Eight hundred to go!" 

 Rey sped towards the cluster of The Fighters. They scattered as she exploded through the middle. 

"Get'm! Hurry!" She yelled. "Poe! Where are you?!"

 " I'm right here!" His voice blared into her headset. She glanced beside her and saw him shoot past. In only a few moments, he blew up the Tie Fighters on his tail. 

 "Yahoo!" He cheered .

Rey grinned and shook her head. 

_We are so lucky to have the best pilot on our squadron._

"We're losing people! " A voice shouted into her ear. "Pilot down pilot down! "

"Snap and Lola just went down!" Finn yelled behind her, "It's up to us ten! " 

She now realized that her friend was correct, there were only ten xwings left. They were outnumbered severely. 

Suddenly an idea came to her. 

She took off her head hear and spoke to Finn. 

"I need to drive!" She said, "Hurry! Switch seats with me!" 

 Before she could even take off her seatbelt, Finn was beside her. He was looking down at her with amusement. 

  "You don't know how to unbuckle yourself, do you?"

Rey glanced down and blushed. "Not exactly... No. But I can figure it out." 

 " There's no time now." He reached down and unbuckled the multiple straps that went around her body. When he finished, she leapt out of the seat. Still holding onto the steering device, they managed to switch chairs without crashing. 

"What are you doing?" He asked as she picked up her helmet and began to mess with it. 

"Sometimes... When you do it just right..." She scrolled through the different stations. Suddenly the voice of a stormtrooper filled the room. She smiled, "You can hack into the first order's helmets." 

 " I didn't know that was possible! " 

 "I learned on Jakku." She said, "Now i need you to speak into this."

 They both leaned to the side as he sped around a glacier. "Ok, what do you want me to say?" 

 " Tell then to turn around and retreat. " 

She held the com link up to his mouth.

"No!" Finn said, "There's no way they'll believe that! When stormtroopers are told to attack they never ever get called back!" 

"Even for a snowstorm?" 

He shook his head , "Never."

Rey growled and snapped her fingers. "Then just tell them to retreat and come around the planet for another hit. That way we can get more Xwings into the air. "

"That might work." He took a deep breath and steadied himself.

 "Tie squadron, retreat over the horizon. I repeat, retreat and come around Crait for another hit. " 

Rey held her breath.

"Aye." 

"Yes sir. " 

"Roger that." 

Multiple voices overlapped each other in response as they turned and headed for the horizon. 

Rey reached up and squeezed Finn's hand happily, making him smile and nod his head. "I told you that would work!" 

"What? Are... Are they retreating?" Poe's confused voice spoke around them. "Did we scare them off?"

Finn laughed and lifted the com link. "Nope. Rey hacked into their helmets, and sent them around the planet."

Rey scowled and shook her head. She snatched the com from his hand. "Finn came up with the right words to say. Without him, we couldn't have ever done it. They'll be back in a few minutes. " 

" Well good job both of you! It's just what we needed! Now everyone hurry and load up on more bullets down at the base. " 

Finn pushed the throttle forward, and began to fly to the base. Suddenly he gasped.

"What?" Rey asked. She stood up and peered out the windshield. Something incredible appeared before her.

"Oh my gosh!" 

Out on the horizon, a giant, multiple mile long cloud of white dust was barreling towards the base. 

" Snowstorm! " Finn shouted. " Take cover! " 

He pressed the throttle down all the way, and they zoomed towards the base.

"What?" Poe asked alarmingly, "Snowstorm?!" 

" Yes! It's heading right for us! " 

Suddenly Finn's com went dead. "Poe? Poe!" No response. He growled and slammed down the device. 

"How can a cloud move that fast?! " Rey asked, still staring at the storm behind them. "The sandstorms on Jakku were never as big as this! " It was closer now, just a few miles away from hitting the base. 

"I don't think we can make it! " she said worryingly. "It's almost upon us!" 

Finn glanced back and saw that the storm was indeed outrunning them. The small particles of white dust were beginning to gather on the windshield. 

 He bared his teeth and began to fly downward at a radical speed. 

"What are we doing?!" Rey yelped. She hopped out of the gunning seat and braced herself on Finn's chair. 

"Emergency landing!" He shouted above the blaring engines. "Buckle yourself in, now!" 

She quickly jumped back into her seat, fingers fumbling as she buckled herself in. She was literally laying on her back, for Finn was flying the ship straight downward. She watched out her window as the blue sky above them was beginning to get covered with white.

 "Can we even land this thing on ice?! " 

Finn took a deep breath, "Lets see."

He evened the ship out and glided over the ground. Red power flew up as they touched the surface. Finally they came to a slow stop. 

"Oh! Th-this is bad! This is very very bad!" Rey was beginning to hyperventilate as the windshield was enveloped in darkness. She couldn't see anything except for the soft glow of the controls around them. Her shallow breathing was making her lightheaded, which made it worse. She had no idea why she was freaking out so badly. It was just snow, she's been through so much worse. But for some odd reason she felt trapped. Trapped in a cold, dark emptyness. 

"How are we going to get out?! We're trapped!" 

"It'll pass over in a few hours, we'll be fine." Finn said simply. "Snowstorms aren't that different from sandstorms."

 Rey didn't respond, she just stared into the dark, swirls of the snow and ice outside her window. 

Suddenly the ship jerked. It lifted off the ground and flew up into the sky. The metal screeched around them, sounding like it was going to tear apart. 

"Aahhh!" Rey cried, " We're going to die!" She hugged the seat belt strap around her body as if her life  depended on it.

"Hey, calm down." Finn said softly behind her, " Just breathe. Just breathe. "

She took his advise and attempted to breathe deeply. Her chest felt tight, which made her feel closed in even more.

"What's freaking you out so much?" He asked, " Weren't you in sandstorms on Jakku? "

"Yeah," she said shakily, " But it isn't the same! I had a secure shelter to hide in, not a flimsy ship! Normally i can protect us from things with the force. But now...i feel... I feel so useless."

"This thing is miles long, you can't expect yourself to stop it." 

" How are you so calm in a situation like this? " 

"I dunno. I just pray and try not to worry. Here, hold my hand. " 

She reached down clutched his hand like a lifeline. Whether she was squeezing it to hard or not she didn't know.

"Gosh, you are freaked out!" He said over the howling winds around them. At that moment she realized that her entire body was shaking. 

"It's just my nerves."

Finn glanced around. "Here, the ship has steadied out quite a bit. You wanna sit with me?"

The ship had stopped spinning, and now floated gracefully at a slightly crooked angle. 

"Is the seat big enough for the both of us? " She asked. "Wil the buckles fit around us?" 

She felt him move behind her , "Yeah, it all seems secure. Come on. " 

Just as she was about to unbuckle, the ship ran into something hard. It threw her forward and flung them around. Luckily she hadn't taken off the straps yet. 

"Are you ok?" He asked, " Never mind don't take off the buckles. It's not safe. " 

She breathed out shakily. "Good idea. "

They were both silent for a while, listening to the strong wind blowing against the windows. The ship was smooth sailing so far. Rey glanced out and could barely make out the shredded wing of their xwing. 

"Whatever we hit damaged our ship." She said, " The left wing is shredded. "

Finn shook his head, "That's not good. But we don't have to worry about that right now. At the moment, the wind is our navigator. " 

They were silent once again. 

"Ya know?" he said, " I've known you for... What? Two years now? "

"One." 

" Whatever, anyways. I've know you for a year, and I still have no idea what your favorite color is. " 

Rey frowned, "Really? I guess we never actually asked questions like that before. "

"So??" 

She folded her arms and thought to herself. " Green. I like green. Like the color of the trees on Takondana. Oh! Or like the color of the Fathiers eyes? I'm so glad I got to see them. " 

Finn leaned back slightly, "Yeah, they are beautiful." 

"I also like blue. Blue like the sky, or like the color of the crystal critters." 

"I like blue too."

" What's your favorite color Finn? " 

"Hmm... " he brought his hand up to his chin. "I like orange. Not the resistance suit orange, I mean bright orange. Orange like the sunsets. Or Loth cat eyes, have you ever seen Loth cats?" 

She shook her head. 

" Interesting. " he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "They are cool. You would like them." 

" You know what? " Rey glanced around, "I just realized, we aren't floating anymore." 

Finn opened his eyes and scanned out the windshield . "You're right, we stopped. And look. " he pointed out the window, "It's getting lighter out. That means it's almost over." 

Rey saw that the swirling snow had turned from a black to a dark blue. He was right, they were almost free.

"We'll just have to wait. " Finn said, "We're almost out of the woods." 


	9. Extreme circumstances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I stayed up until 4 in the morning writing this. That's right, four in the morning. Aka 4:00 am. But you see, I'm homeschooled. And I don't normally wake up til 10 am anyways. So, you know, meh. Anywho... I'm tired, but I hope it was worth it! :-/ I think it was, and I hope you think so too. This chapter contains a bit more fluff, and I think you'll really enjoy it! Thank you all, and have a good day. If I don't respond to your comment right away, it's because I'm still asleep. Lol.

The ship jerked suddenly as it hit the ground. Rey was glad that she kept her seatbelt on. Their surroundings weren't clear yet, but were a light grey as the wind and ice began to calm down around them.

 She heard Finn began to unbuckle behind her. "Let's get ready to go out, I need to see where we are." He said as he gathered his jacket in his arms. 

Rey's fingers fumbled as she unbuckled herself from the seat. "How far away from the base do you think we are?" She asked. 

Finn didn't respond. 

She glanced back and saw him with his hands wrapped around the handles of the door. He strained as he yanked down. She realized that he was struggling to get the top hatch open. "What's wrong?" She asked, " Is it broken? " 

After a few more yanks he gave up."I don't know..." He said as he lowered his hands and kept his gaze at the hatch above him.

Rey frowned and crawled over to him. Their faces were only a few inches apart now, for there was barely any room for the two of them. She followed her friends gaze to the hatch above them. It didn't look broken, no dinged or rusted parts. 

"Wait..." She leaned her head against the window beside her. Ice-cold glass burned into her skin, making her forehead go instantly numb. Then she realized...

"Um... Are we trapped in ice??" 

Her eyes darted back and forth from one window to the next. All of them had ice frozen against its surface. The striped pattern of frostbite glazed across the glass, making it nearly impossible to see outside.

"I think you're right." Finn said as he sat down and peered around. "We are trapped in a frozen lake or something. " 

Although he didn't show it, Rey began to sense the panic rising in her friend. She was beginning to become nervous too until she remembered her lightsaber against her side. She reached down and held it up. 

"I've got an idea." She told him, " The heat would melt the ice, right? I could cut us a way out. " 

Finn spun around and she saw hope full his brown eyes. "You're a genius!" He cried, " Hurry! I'll gather all the stuff. " He laid his jacket across the small, three-foot floor span he had at his feet and began to put different items on it. 

"Shouldn't we try to call Poe first?" Rey asked. " Maybe we'll have a connection? " 

"I can try." Finn stopped packing and reached over to flip the radio switch. But nothing turned on, no lights or sounds of anything. He leaned back and sighed."The ship is dead, I can't call anyone." 

 "What are we going to do?" 

 "I don't know. At the moment though, let's focus on getting out of this deathtrap."

 Rey realized that the ship was growing colder and colder by the second. If they didn't get out of there fast, in a short matter of time they would freeze to death. 

She positioned the saber so the blade wouldn't hit her or Finn. Then she turned it on, sending a spray of water on her face as it cut through the side of the ship. 

 "We're completely encased in ice." Rey said, " I wonder how much I'll have to dig? " 

Finn tied up the sleeves of his jacket, creating a small pouch to hold all their supplies in. "I have no idea, but let's get to it. " 

Rey squinted as she began to cut a large circle out from above them. A loud clang was made as the piece of metal fell down beside her. Water trickled down into the ship as she melted the ice.

In a matter of moments, her hands were soaked. 

_Good thing these Lightsabers are water-proof!_

Her hands grew cold quickly, so she began to warm her fingers by cupping her palms up to her mouth and breathing on them. She watched her breath turn into vapor as she breathed out. After she could feel her digits, she started to cut more. And of course that meant spraying down even more water.

"Here, let me give it a try." Finn said as he crawled over beside her. " Warm up your hands some more, we can take turns. "

Rey nodded and breathed on her hands once more. Her warm breath felt so good on her cold, aching fingers. She wished she had brought those thick gloves Leia had given her.

Finn was standing up now, he had cut more circles into the ceiling and formed a small tunnel leading up. All that was left of him was the bottom of his legs. The tube was small, but was just big enough for them to fit through. Ignoring the cold water dropping down, she crawled over and glanced up at him. At the top of the tunnel was a light blue dome. 

"We are getting closer!" She said excitedly, " I can almost see the sky! "

Finn grinned shakily and began to cut even quicker. 

"Do you want me to go now?" She asked, " So you can warm your hands? "

He nodded and knelt down to give her the saber. To her alarm his fingers felt frozen against hers. "Oh my gosh! You need to warm them, now." She ordered, handing him his jacket-pack and standing to cut more into the ice.

" I'm not that cold. " Finn said, "I can cut more whenever you are ready."

Rey scoffed and wiped some water off her forehead. Her body was nearly soaked now, which made the cold even worse. But she knew they had to get out of there and find shelter elsewhere. 

Her hands were shivering from the cold, but she count give up now. They were so close...so so close. And suddenly to her relief, a large slab of ice fe l down below her and revealed the bright blue sky! 

"Yes!" She said happily, " Finn I got it! Here, push me up. "

She felt his hands press against the bottom of her feet, as she slowly began to rise upward. As her fingers finally reached the ledge, she lifted herself up to the surface. She gasped inward suddenly as her breath was taken away. The wind was incredible up here, and it made her wet body feel ten times colder than before. 

"Are you ok?" Finn's concerned voice echoed below her. 

" I'm fine. " She said, he numb fingers slipping as she hooked the saber to her belt. "Just c-c-cold." 

" Grab the jacket! " he told her. She reached her arm down the tunnel and grabbed the cold leather. Lifting it to the surface, she peered down at Finn. "How am I going to get you out?" 

He reached up with one hand. "Take my hand, and try to lift me up." 

Rey reached down and intertwined his cold fingers in hers. It felt so odd, the times they held hands his fingers were so warm and comforting. And now...now they were so cold... 

She strained every muscle in her freezing body and lifted him up. She could hear his boots slide against the metal of the ship as he scurried up the sides. Then the sharp scraping as he pressed his feet into the ice. The sides of the tunnel were too smooth for him to get any leverage, and he began to slip downwards. 

Rey grunted as she held him up. She watched as he pressed his back against one side to the tude, and his feet pressed against the other. It was a tight fit, but it worked. One slow step at a time he began to reach the top. She breathed out a sharp puff of air and heaved him upward. His head was almost to the top of the tunnel now. 

He let go of her hand and clung to the ledge for dear life. Rey backed up to give him some space as he clambered up the sides. Suddenly he helped as he began to slide back down. She lunged forward and snatched him by the hands once more. 

"Whew." He sighed, "Good save. "

They worked together to pull him up the tunnel.

"Come on!" She said, " You're almost there! "

With one last tug, Finn flung himself out of the tunnel. They both fell over and landed on top of eachother. For a few moments they laid there, breathing hard and recovering from exhaustion. 

Finn was literally laying on top of Rey at the moment, giving her a sense of warmth. He leaned up, with out moving his body, and glanced down at her. 

"Are...are you ok?" He panted, grinning.

" I'm fine. " she said breathlessly. "But let's find a place to hide. I'm cold."

He nodded and sat up off of her. Helping her up and scooping up the jacket, he stood and scanned the area. 

" There! " he said, pointing to a sharp rock overhang. "Underneath there, there's a cave." 

" That will do. " She said happily, "Lets hurry." 

Finn wrapped one arm around her shoulders , and they walked side-by-side across the powdery ground. Rey's hair flies out of control as they reach the heavy wind. It even feels as though her tunic is about to rip off. She glanced around, catching her breath, as she watched the tiny flakes fall from the sky. 

"Do you think those are made of water or salt?" She asked. 

Finn glanced up at the sky, "I'm not sure. We can see when we get to the cave."

Rey nodded and kept walking on. She bundled her hands up to her chest. "I can't feel my fingers." 

" Neither can I. But we are almost there, and we'll warm up soon. " 

A few minutes pass, and they finally reach the cave. 

"I wonder if there's any animals in there?" Rey asked curiously. After they were under the overhang and Finn set down their stuff, she tucked her hands underneath her arms and walked up to the entrance. Closing her eyes, she focused upon the place before them.

To her relief, she sensed no living creatures inside. She turned around and saw Finn shivering behind her. 

"Nothing?" he asked. 

" Nothing. "

They walked together into the cave. The walls blocked the strong breeze, causing a huge relief for the two of them. 

"This is so much better." She sighed contently. They made their way to the back of the cave, which wasn't very far into the rock. They could see the entrance of the cave from back there, but it was so much warmer. 

"Let's sit here. " Finn says as he sets the jacket-bag down. "The floor was indeed smoother there, but it was still a little chilly." 

He sits down, and she lowered down a few feet beside him. He glanced over at her and burst into laughter. 

This made her giggle, "What's wrong with you?! "

"Your hair is completely windblown! You look like a sick Wookie! " he burst out into more laughter and wiped tears from his eyes. 

She began to laugh loudly as well. "You see?! You're lucky! You don't have long hair like I do and you don't have to worry about sick Wookies!"

They both cracked up at this, tears streaming from their eyes as they attempted to stop laughing. But then Finn made it worse, "I don't think anyone would bother us in here, because you look quite frightening."

Rey cackled, "Well, you do know, I can speak Wookie. So if I make that noise and look like this, I mean..."

Finn chuckled, "But seriously, do you want me to fix your hair? " 

Rey shrugged, "It doesn't matter, you can if you want." 

Finn sat behind her and took her hair down. After putting the rubber hairholders around his wrist, he gently brushed out the tangles with his fingers. 

"Are you wanting your hair up in three buns or do you want your hair down?" he asled, wrapping strands of her brown hair around his fingers. 

"I'll have it up in buns." She said.

********************************************Except for the little girls back at the base, he was the only person that she ever allowed to fix her hair. At first she was extremely uncomfortable about it, for on Jakku she always styled her hair herself. But Finn was a creative man, he was able to style her hair in so many ways that other people couldn't do. Young girls on base from the ages of 5 to 16 would go to go to him for lessons about different hairstyles. (There were about 25 girls in total, the base wasnt the most popular place for raising a family.) They would surround him, styling each others hair as he would style hers. Rey thought of it as rather sweet, for they would hold secret lessons in their  _Hideout. (Which was literally the abandoned lunchroom.)_ Even the older brothers of the girls would come and hang out. Some of them would even take lessons from Finn how to style their sisters hair.

And of course, the girls had a favorite style. In each hallway, there was always at least one little girl with her hair up in three buns. Poe asked Rey if it bothered her, but she said no. It actually made her happy seeing young girls want to be like her. It made her feel...wanted. But this was all a secret to everyone, because Finn wasnt sure how the other pilots would react to him having hairstyling parties... But Rey never looked down upon it. She thought it was cool that a man would fix hair. It was also a thing that they would do together. After a long day, it was relaxing to both of them. Finn would mess with her hair while Rey would read the Jedi texts. Or he would do it while they just talked about their day. 

He tried to get Poe into it, but the pilot didn't have the same enthusiasm. But it didn't bother Finn at all. He enjoyed the special alone time he had with his friend.

****************************************

"There you go." He said happily, " Beautiful. "

Rey reached up and felt her head. Her hair was up in three prefect buns, just as he said. 

"Thanks!" She said. " You did great! "

" No problem. " 

"So, do you think it's safe to fall alseep?" She asked, glancing out at the dark entrance of the cave. " What kind of animals are on this planet? " 

Finn shook his head, "I'm not sure. But I think that as long as we have our weapons, we'll be fine." He pulled his jacket over to him and opened it. He reached inside and pulled out a fairly good sized blanket. He held it up and grinned. Then he reached in again and pulled out a smaller cover. 

"Wow!" Rey said impressed, " Did you just pull those out of your butt?! " 

Finn chucked, "No, I actually found them in the Xwing. I also grabbed a knife and a pistol." He opened the bag to show her. 

 " Nice. " 

He grabbed the smaller blanket and folded it up into a pillow shape. Then he grabbed the larger blanket and spread it out. He crawled underneath the cover and laid his head down on the pillow. "You like this? Portable bed." 

He yawned , "I'm really tired." He glanced down at his watch, " Wow! It's already 10?! No wonder I'm tired, time passed by quickly!" 

Rey yawned too, "I'm going to attempt to sleep too. That way we can be ready for tomorrow. " She took off her boots and walked over. Finn held up the blanket as she crawled in. Before she laid down, she took off her saber and put it beside her. They both laid on their sides, facing eachother. 

"Brr..." he said, his teeth chattering. " It's a lot warmer in here than it is outside, but I'm still chilly. " 

"I am too." Rey said, " But our body heat will warm us up. " 

The blanket was large enough to wrap up the both of them, and even with extra room to move.

They weren't touching each other at all, not even their hands touched. Rey felt weird, and she was sure that Finn felt the same way. They had never shared a bed before. But they were freezing, and this called for extreme circumstances. 

"Do you mind if I lay up against you?" Rey asked nervously. " I'm really cold. " 

Finn nodded, "Sure." 

Rey scooted closer to his body, and laid against his side. His body heat radiated off his skin, and warmed her. 

"Hey rey?" he said. 

 " Yeah? " 

"I promise I won't try anything stupid. I'm not that type of guy, ok?"

Rey smirked, amused at his comment." I know finn. I'm not worried at all, I trust you. " 

"Ok, good." 

After a few minutes she could tell by his breathing that he was asleep. Then she felt his arm go around her shoulder, almost as if it were a protective gesture. It was kind of weird for her at first, but after a few seconds she began to feel comfortable. Either way she felt safe, whether it was out of protection or not. He leaned closer, enveloping her in his warmth. She sighed contently, and began to close her eyes. She snuggled up closer to his chest and before she knew it she was fast asleep.


	10. Waking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JUST A HEADS UP. This is a short chapter. I was writing this at 1:00 am and literally fell asleep with my tablet in my hands. Sorry, I was tired. XD I'll try to write more tomorrow. 
> 
> #sleepytime

Rey's eyes fluttered open at the first beams of sunlight as they entered through the cave. Her eyes immediately scanned her grey surroundings. It took her a few moments to realize where she was and what had happened the previous day. 

_Xwing_

_War_

_Poe_

_Snow storm_

_Ice_

_Cold_

_Cave_

It all came back to her in loads of memories. She shivered as a breeze passed into their shelter. 

Rey realized that she was still cuddled up next to Finn. His arm was still draped over her body, but he seemed to be holding her tighter than last night. It kept her warm all night for sure, and she was grateful. 

She rested her head back on the soft plush and gazed up at her friend's face. He was still fast asleep with his face at a calm, relaxed state. The sense of peacefulness that radiated from him made her happy. 

Rey wanted to stay in the warm sleeping bag with her friend, but she knew she had to go scout out the area. She reluctantly slid gently out of his grip, attempting to not wake him from his slumber.

She crawled out of the thick cover and stood up, but now before tucking the rest of the blanket into Finn's side. A wave of coldness washed over her body. Her teeth chattered as she rubbed her arms. She should've prepared herself for this kind of weather before she left base. Her tunic was somewhat thick, but it was no match for this freezing weather. Finn on the other hand came prepared. He always would wear a long sleeved shirt underneath his jacket. Why? Nobody knew. But it was perfect for a situation like this.

Glancing down, she realized that Finn's jacket was on the ground. She lifted it and zipped it up her shoulders. Then she began to walk towards the entrance of the cave. 

 "And where are you going?" A voice said behind her. 

She spun around and saw that Finn had woken up. He was sitting up with a curious expression on his face. 

Rey felt guilty. "I'm so sorry!" She apologized, "I didn't mean to wake you! I was just going out to see the area. " 

He shook his head goodnaturedly, "It's no problem, honest." He stood up and stretched. Then he jogged after her , "I wanted to come with you anyways." 

 Rey grinned, and resumed walking towards the entrance. "Oh! Do you want your jacket back?" She asked.

 "No, I'm fine. You need it more than I do anyways." 

 " Sure? " 

 "Yep." 

 Rey tucked her hands into the pockets of the jacket, happy for some kind of warmth for her fingers. Then the two of them walked out into the world of blinding white.


	11. Thinking too much

"It's warmer than yesterday, right?" Finn asked as they walked out of the cave. "It had to be in the negatives last night, but now it feels like maybe in the 30's?"

Beside him trotted Rey, hands still in her pockets. The cold wind hit her face, blowing her loose hair strands in every which way. "Sure." She muttered as she kicked up salt dust. "And I'm pretty positive it'll get colder as it gets later in the day." 

 " Yeah, you're right about that. " He said, "The temps drop so quickly here. We better not get too far from the cave."

 Rey nodded and brushed her hand across a large glacier as they passed it. She stopped walking and gazed into the silver, shiny surface. In it was her reflection, and beside her she saw Finn's. 

 "This is cool, huh?" He said as he pulled off an icesicle. He held it in his hand and observed it. He reached one hand out and touched the point of it. "This thing is sharp!" He exclaimed, "I could really hurt someone with this!" 

 He gripped it in his hands and kept walking ahead. Rey stated in disbelief and rushed up to him. 

 "You're keeping it?" She asked. 

 "Yeah, is that bad?" 

 "No, I'm just saying that it's gonna melt at some point."

 Finn smirked beside her, "You think too much, you need to learn how to play." 

 Rey stopped walking. "What?" She stared after him as he kept walking ahead. " What do you mean by that? "

He stopped and turned around to face her. "You think too much." He shrugged, " It's not a bad thing! Don't take me wrong, it's just that if... If a person thinks too much they never have any fun."

Rey crossed her arms, "If you never use your head, you'll kill yourself."

Finn shook his head, "No no no, you're not stupid. You are very smart! There's a difference between  _just plain_ _dumb_ and  _not over thinking things._ "

Rey chuckled and walked up beside him. 

"Ok then." Finn said. She watched as he put his giant ice weapon in his belt, and then bent over. He used his hands to pick up a small pile of salt snow, and began to cup it into a small ball. "Now." He said as held the ball, "What do you do with this?" 

Rey shrugged, " I have no idea. Throw it? " 

"You're close, but where do you throw it?"

" I don't know, this is-" She was cut off as a pile of snow was thrown against her chest. It exploded into millions of tiny particles. When the dust disappeared, behind it revealed a hunched over Finn. He was bursting into laughter, his body shaking as he attempted to stop. 

Rey felt a mixture of anger and excitement. "What?! What the heck was that?!" 

Finn looked up and wiped a tear from his eye. " That, my friend, was a snowball fight. Fun, right? "He glanced up at her face with concern, "You aren't angry, right?" 

Rey stomped up to him glaring. She got right up in his face and growled, "I don't like snowball fights." Her eyes boiled in anger, and puffs of vapor flew from her mouth. 

Finn backed away sadly, feeling clearly hurt. "I'm sorry, I didn't know-" 

His words were stopped as he was hit in the back of the head with a snowball. 

Rey's angry expression broke as she cracked up in front of him. "But I love them when it means that I get to hit you!"

Finn brushed the powder from his face, " Oh! Now listen here Jedi girl, just because you have the force doesn't mean you can beat me in a snowball fight! " 

Her eyes gleamed with happiness, "Bring it on...Finnley! " She laughed vigorously and ran towards a small boulder a few feet away.

Finn bared his teeth, "You know I hate that name!" He chuckled as he launched two more snowballs after his friend. To his disappointment she leapt behind the boulder before the snowballs could hit her. The spheres blew up into a powdery explosion as they hit the rock. 

Rey leapt up from behind the boulder and launched five snowballs towards him, two with her hands and the other three with the force. 

Finn yelped as the balls soared after him. He needed to find cover. He dove behind the ice rock, but his body wasnt covered enough because a snowball hit the side of his leg. 

"Ah!" He cried dramatically, slowly inching the rest of his body behind the rock. "I've been hit!"

Rey giggled and sat back down behind her shield. She began to ball more piles of snow up into the most perfect spheres she could possibly make. Finn was right, this was awesome!

Maybe she really did need to have more fun in her life. 


	12. Injured

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not sure if this chapter is any good, I wrote this when I was half asleep. The only time of day I can work on this! :-P School kicks my butt, and soccer and karate take up a lot of time too. Plus taking my dog on long walks each day. Sorry I haven't updated for quite a while. Let's hope this chapter was worth staying up til 4 am! Ha! XD
> 
> Happy early Halloween everyone!

Rey dusted the snow off of her jacket. Well, Finn's jacket. She was still wearing his leather clothing around her shoulders. "That was fun!" She said happily as she walked over to Finn, who was laying with his back on the ground. 

 "Oh yeah, snowball fights are a blast!" He chuckled, pushing himself off the powdery ground. Rey reached her hand down to him and helped him to his feet. 

She then held her fingers to her mouth and breathed into her hand. She still marveled at how her breath would turn into clouds of vapor as she breathed. 

 "How are we going to contact the base?" She asked. "The Xwing is dead, and our comlinks are too." 

 Finn sighed, "I have no idea." He reached up and scratched the back of his head. "And I don't know how far away base is." 

 They stood side by side beside the giant glacier, which blocked the strong, crisp wind. 

 "What are we going to do?" Rey asked, " Just wait for them to come searching for us? " 

 "Precisely." Finn muttered, " And we can explore while we wait! " He motioned for her to follow him. 

 She grinned and ran after him. "Race you to that rock!" She yelled, and sprinted towards it. 

 Rey sped past her friend, and quickly heard his footsteps begin to gallop after her. She approached a large ice boulder. As she turned around the corner of the glacier, something knocked her onto the ground. She glanced up, and above her stood a huge furry creature! She scooted backwards and gasped.

It stared down at her with dark eyes. It looked like a white Chewbacca, except it was more than twice the size of an average wookie. It had sharp teeth that stuck out around the corners of its mouth, and thick, white fur that covered its entire body. It opened its jaws and roared angrily, sending spit shooting every which way.

Rey stood up and quickly reached for her lightsaber. Nothing met her hand. Then she suddenly realized that she left her weapon in the cave. 

 _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_  

She mentally punched herself. She never went anywhere without her weapon, anywhere! 

Now she was standing defenseless underneath this terrifying animal.

Finn sped around the corner and screeched to a stop as he caught sight of the creature. Rey stepped back beside him, hoping that the animal would be imitated now that there were two humans. 

But the beast didn't care, he swung a fist at them and before they knew it they were smashed into the ice wall behind them. Rey yelped as her spine burst into pain. Then her head hit something hard and she could feel the warm trickle of blood went down her scalp. Waves of tingling traveled up and down her back. She laid on her side, afraid to move.

She slightly tilted her head to look over at Finn. He was on his back in the snow, unconscious. Blood from her head began to drip on the ground below her. 

Rey glared angrily at the beast as it stomped towards her. It roared and lifted its foot to smash them. 

Before she could fully control herself, Rey took the salt from underneath them with the force and threw it up in the monster's face. It lowered its foot and took multiple steps back, rubbing its face frantically as the salt stung its eyes. 

Rey pushed herself up, pain exploded down her spine as she slowly got to her feet. She dared not to take any steps forward. Glancing around, she caught sight of large, sharp icecicles above her. She held her hand out clutched in a fist and used the force to break off the weapons. 

Right as the monster recovered, she launched the icecicles at it. The shards stabbed into its skin, turning its white fur into a dark red. The beast screeched in pain and stepped away even farther. 

She then threw even more salt into its face, and the animal finally backed off. It's fearful roars faded away into the distance as it ran. 

Rey sunk back down to the powdery ground until she was on her hands and knees. Her spine ached with every move she made, and it felt as though it was going to snap in half. Splatters of red were spread across the ground from where she had fallen. Her head was bleeding a lot, and she knew it.

She saw her friend shake his head and sit up a few feet away. She glanced over at him, relieved to see that he had no surface injuries.

"Are you ok?" She asked. 

He nodded, "Yeah. Where's that animal at?" 

" He's gone. " Rey coughed, wincing. "I threw icicles at him, and he backed off. "

"Nice!" Finn laughed and got to his feet. " Good technique! " He brushed himself off and glanced over at her.

"Wait... Are you hurt?!" He asked alarmingly. He ran over and knelt down beside her, concern filling his eyes. "You're bleeding! What did you hit?!" 

Rey was still on her hands and knees. "When he threw me against the wall, something busted open my head. And my back is hurt too, I don't know if I can walk. " 

"How bad is it?" He asked, "Your back?" 

Rey tried to sit upright, but her spine quickly filled with pain. She yelped and held herself steady with her hands. She looked over at him and her pain filled eyes said it all. 

"Let's see if you can stand." Finn said nervously. He gripped her arms and gently helped her up. She shook in his arms, unable to stay steady. He held her shoulders tightly. 

"I... I don't think I can walk. " She spoke through her bared teeth. 

Finn wiped the sweat from his head. "Oh gosh... This is not good, not good at all..."

" It's getting later. " Rey pointed out, "In just a few hours the sun will be down, which means the temperatures will drop too. " 

"I know, we need to get home quick. " He said. Then he gazed into her eyes, "Can I please try something?" 

Rey nodded nervously, " I guess, what? " 

He didn't answer but unzipped her jacket and began to slowly take it off of her. The cold breeze hit her, making her shiver.

  "If I wrap this around your torso, it can support your spine. " He reached down and grabbed some fallen icicles. "And these will add extra support. Kinda like a cast." Rey stood there with her arms slightly lifted as he wrapped his coat around her torso. Then he positioned the icicles parallel to her spine. 

He tied it in a knot behind her, causing her to wince. "I'm sorry Rey, but in order for us to get back I need to do this. " She knew it bothered him so much when he hurt her. But they both knew it had to be done. 

"There, now try walking now." He said.

Rey took a few steps. She felt stiff from the coat and ice wrapped around her body, but her spine didn't hurt nearly as bad now. She nodded, "Yeah, I think I can make it." 

Finn grinned, " Great! " He walked over to her and let her lean on him for support. 

"Now, let's get back to the cave before more creatures come for us." 


	13. Crystal Critters

Short bursts of pain shot up her spine with each step. 

She was grateful to have such a caring friend. Finn stayed by her side, letting her lean most of her body weight on his shoulder. She had to take such small, slow steps. She had no idea how long it would be before they reached the cave. Finn volunteered to carry her, but it hurt too much to be cradled in his arms. 

"I feel so weak." Rey muttered under her breath. She winced as she nearly tripped over a small rock. 

Finn held her steady, "You aren't weak, you are very strong. Back injuries are serious!" 

 He motioned with his head towards his back, "Trust me. I know these things." 

" I guess... " She mumbled, "How much longer before sundown?" 

They both glanced out at the horizon. The sun was slowly sinking lower and lower in the sky. 

"Probably within a few hours, maybe." He said. " But dont rush yourself, take your time!" 

She scoffed as she took another small step forward. 

"I'm serious Rey." 

Suddenly out of the corner of her view, she saw movement. She quickly snapped her head over to see three little canine-like creatures trotting along. 

"Look." She grinned and pointed, "Crystal Critters." 

Finn smiled as well as he caught sight of them. The animals were traveling in a small pack , the largest one in front with the smaller two behind her. The two small critters seemed young. By how they clumsily tackled one another as they followed, it was obvious that they were still little.

"Those must be her babies." Rey said as she watched the dogs walk beside them. The mother critter glanced over at her and suddenly veered towards them. In just a few moments, Rey and the dog-like creature were slowly walking side by side. 

 "It's amazing that in such a cold, salty world like this, these animals can still survive." Finn said as he watched the babies gallop after their mother. One of the young critters grew closer and closer to Finn until it was padding right beside his legs. He reached a hand down and wiggled his fingers. 

"Aw, she likes you Finn." Rey smiled as the pup jumped up at his dangling hand. The other baby followed at his mother's heels. 

"They aren't scared of us." Finn said, " They trust us."

Rey nodded and glanced down at the largest animal beside her legs. She was taking very short, slow steps. Keeping in pace perfectly with Rey. 

 "They are so beautiful." Rey marveled at their ice covered coats. " Such precise markings! " 

As if on cue, the biggest critter lifted her head and looked straight up at Rey. Her bright blue eyes stared right into Rey's. The young Jedi had an odd feeling wash over her. Something fluttered deep inside her body, something she had felt before. Both dog and girl stopped walking and stared at each other for a few seconds more. 

 "Rey?" Finn asked, " You ok? " 

 She and the dog began to walk side by side again. Rey blinked her eyes strangely and looked over at her friend.

"I think these animals are connected to the force." She told him. 

"What?" He looked down at the little critter, who was nipping at his hand. " How do you know? " 

Rey shook her head in bewilderment, "I have no idea. I...i just know." She watched as the graceful animal beside her made no sound as she slowly padded through the snow. 

" Ook then... " he said. Then suddenly he stopped walking abruptly. He scanned the horizon hopefully. 

"What's wrong?" Rey asked.

" I've heard that noise before! " Finn yelped cheerfully, making the pup beside him jump. "They've come for us! Yes!" 

Rey was about to ask what he meant, until she too heard the same noise. It was a deep, guttural engine rumble. Then it began to grow louder and higher pitched. 

"There!" Finn pointed at a small dot on the horizon. She squinted her eyes as she tried to make the object out. 

Then she finally recognized it. 

 _An XWing Fighter!_  


	14. Gone

"Down here!" Finn yelled as he waved his arms. 

 Rey was filled with hope, the xwing was getting closer. It would surely see them down on the white ground, right? 

She managed to reach up and wave. "Help! Help us!" She cried. 

Finn was jumping up and down with joy now. "I think they see us! We're going to be saved!"

He ran towards the flying ship and yelled. But the xwing wasn't slowing down at all. 

 "They can't see us!" She told him. " What can we do? " 

He stopped running and realized that she was right. He glanced down at the icy ground, and then bent over and picked up some rocks. 

He ran back over to her. " Use the force and throw these high in the air! Don't hit the ship, just throw them in front of it! " 

Rey nodded. Finn reared back and launched a rock high in the air. Then she lifted out her hand and shot the rock even higher. It reached its peak and toppled back to the ground. The ship didn't slow down. 

Finn threw some more up in the air, and Rey threw them higher, but the ship still didn't see them. Her hope crumbled to pieces as the ship flew over them and sped off into the distance. 

 "No!" She cried, stumbling hopelessly towards the disappearing ship. "No! Come back!" 

 " They didn't see us. " Finn lowered his head sadly. He refused to meet Rey's eyes. "C'mon, let's get back to the cave." 

 She slowly turned and walked beside him. The three crystal critters ran out from behind a ice boulder, and trotted after them once more. 

"Looks like we've made some new friends." She said. The pups galloped ahead, while the mother stayed behind the two people and guarded the rear.

Rey's spine was throbbing with each step she took. She winced silently, refusing to give up. 

Finn began to wrap his arm around her to support her, "Here, lean on me." 

Rey pulled away gently, "It's ok, I can walk." 

He glanced over at her, " It's ok to ask for help you know. " 

"I'm fine." 

 He stared at her seriously, a touch of fire burning in his expression. "No you aren't. You don't need to injure your back any worse, you shouldn't even be up walking at all. " 

Rey looked into his brown eyes fearfully. He wasn't angry, just concerned. 

"If I were hurt, wouldn't you want to help me?" He asked. 

" Of course!" 

"Then let me help, you can repay me the favor later." 

Rey finally gave in. She nodded silently and allowed him to wrap his arm around her side. When she leaned into him, a wave of relief washed over her. Having him for support was a massive difference instead of walking on her own. Her spine still ached, but nearly half of the pain wasn't as sharp as before. 

She was grateful to have such a determined, caring friend. 

For Rey knew that anyone else would've given up on her stubbornness.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter name kinda gave away what happens. ;-D  
> Sorry my hopeful readers! More adventure is yet to come!  
> (I can promise you one thing, it won't reach over 25 chapters!)


	15. Hunt

By the time they reached the cave, the sun was beginning to set. The rays of light shown through the entrance and sparkled off of the frozen walls, creating an amazing display. 

 Rey slowly lowered herself on the makeshift bed and leaned against the wall. The coldness of the ice behind her somewhat soothed her spine. She lifted up her lightsaber and hooked it to her belt. Finn sat down in front of her, gathering his supplies together. She watched as he reached around his back and pulled out the massive icicle he had found earlier. 

 "You still have that thing?" She asked. 

 " Yes. " he chuckled, "And I'm planning to hunt with it." 

 Rey was bewildered, "Hunt?"

 " Yes, I'm hungry. I'm heading out to look for food before it gets dark. " 

 She began to lift herself off the ground. "Let me come." 

 Finn quickly shook his head. "No, you stay here. Protect the cave." He put the giant icicle in his belt and walked over to her. He handed her the blankets. "Just stay in place, ok?" 

 He was about to turn when Rey reached up and quickly grabbed his wrist. "I don't like the idea of you leaving on your own." 

 "I'll be fine. I'll be back before sunset, I promise." 

 Rey thought to herself for a while, then she slowly released his wrist. "Ok, stay safe." 

 He nodded, "I will." He turned and walked towards the entrance of the cave. 

 "Wait!" She called. He turned and she tossed her lightsaber to him. "Use this!" 

 " Are you sure? " He asked, "You need some sort of protection too." 

 " You'll need it more than me. I can use the force, I can protect myself. " 

Finn peered at her nervously. 

 "I've protected myself for over 15 years on a desert wasteland, I think I'll be ok for a few hours." 

 He lifted an eyebrow, "You didn't have a broken back." 

 Rey grinned, "Just go! Before it gets dark!" 

 He smiled and turned, nearly stumbling over the crystal foxes as they walked into the cave. "Oh! Sorry guys! " 

The largest critter nudged her half grown pups into the den and glanced over at Finn, then at Rey. She looked confused. 

 "I'm going hunting." She watched Finn as he spoke to her, "Want to come?" 

The male pup spun around and sprinted past his mother and sister to Finn's side. The mother critter lowered her ears and growled. 

 "You should take them as your hunting partners!" Rey said across the room. " They look excited! " 

The two pups were running in circles around Finn's legs, yipping and barking happily. They were half the size of their mother, but they seemed to be worthy hunters.

He chuckled, "I suppose I could use some company." 

 The mother Fox growled lowly and bared her sharp teeth. 

He knelt down and looked the critter in the eyes. "I'll make a deal with you." He said. 

 The crystal Fox tilted her head.

 "You protect my friend, and I'll protect your pups." He said, pointing at Rey. "Deal?" 

The mother critter glanced back and forth from her pups to the jedi. She finally huffed and trotted over to Rey. She laid down beside her on the blanket. 

" I don't need protecting! " Rey told him.

Finn smiled and ignored her protest. "Ok guys, let's go!" He jogged out of the cave with the two young critters running after him excitedly. 

After their footsteps disappeared, Rey glanced down at the ice Fox beside her. "Don't worry, he'll keep your babies safe." 

The animal lifted her head and stared at her.

The young Jedi felt an overwhelming sense of peace as the creature laid her head on her lap. She sighed contently. Rey rested her hand on the animal's back. 

To her surprise, the critter's body heat warmed her up. With the icy crystals along her hide, one would think they would be freezing. 

Rey ran her fingers along the fluffy fur on her head. "You are so much nicer than the animals on Jakku."

She never had an animal friend on the desert planet. The only creatures there were the metal eaters, sand worms, and the the big hogs people would ride on. But they weren't pretty. Occasionally some kind of sand rodent would appear in her hut. But they were too timid to touch and would chew up all her things. 

Now, the Porgs on Ach-To were cute. They were a nuisance though, constantly building nests in the Falcon. Chewie hated the Porgs at first, and he prevented them from building nests by eating them. But after a bit, he warmed up to them and began to like their company. Rey thought it was cute to see a Wookie being so gentle with the little birds.

But she never really paid attention to animals, not until now. 

She really liked these crystal critters. According to Finn and Poe's stories, they helped the resistance escape the first order. They led Poe to the rocks that Rey would lift. At first she didn't believe it, but now she did. They were such loyal animals, and they were connected to the force in a such an amazing way. 

They had saved the resistance. Without the crystal critters, her friends would be dead.

Rey was beginning to grow tired, and her spine was aching severly. She spread out the blanket and laid on it. She gathered the other two quilts and made a pillow. After she laid her head down, she covered herself with the soft cover. Her aching back finally felt at ease as she relaxed.

But before she closed her eyes, she gently draped the cover over the body of the crystal critter beside her. The Fox was facing the entrance with her ears perked, listening and watching intently for any danger. 

In Rey's mind, words suddenly appeared.

_Rest, I will watch over you._

Anyone else would've thought that they were going crazy.

But not Rey, the words relaxed her and she quickly fell asleep.

After all, she knew where the voice came from-

The guardian at her feet.


	16. Fight

Rey opened her eyes to the sound of soft growling. 

She sat up quickly. But to her surprise, she felt no pain. Her spine was somehow healed? 

_Odd..._

The soft growl came again, and Rey realized that it was the Crystal Fox laying down beside her. The creature had her ears perked, and was watching at the cave entrance intently. 

"What is it?" Rey asked.

The Fox stood and quickly padded to the opening. She looked around the corner and froze. She then glanced over at Rey with her ears held against her head. 

 "Hold on," The young Jedi said as she pushed herself off the ground. She slowly took a step, expecting pain, but she felt nothing. She took another, still nothing!

Rey grinned and began to walk towards the entrance. No pain, none at all. 

But all her happiness faded as she came around the corner of the cave walls. In front of her lay three bodies face first in the snow. One human and two animals. To her absolute horror, she realized it was Finn and the two pups. 

She cried out and ran towards her friend. Kneeling down, she flipped him over and brushed the snow away from his face. His face and lips were cold, and his eyes were closed in a peaceful gesture. "Finn! Finn!" Rey yelled his name, but no response. She leaned down and pressed her ear against his chest, listening for a heartbeat. 

 _Nothing_...

"No! No! " She cried, clutching at his jacket as she begged for his beating heart. But she knew the truth. 

 _He was dead._..

"No! " She cried. Tears began to stream down her cheeks. She laid her head down on his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. 

_What had killed him?!_

She wondered. 

Between the fallen tears in her eyes, she could make out the mother Fox as she trotted up to her pups. She nudged them each with her nose. Both of the pups stayed stiff, and didn't move. The mother leaned back her head and howled heartbrokenly.

This made Rey cry even more, she laid her head upon her friend's chest. 

" Scavenger! " 

A voice rang out in the cold air. 

Rey gasped and looked up, recognizing the voice. She spun around.

He stood there with his black cape blowing in the strong breeze. His dark, scarred eyes stared blankly into hers, his expression impossible to read. With a loud crackle, he ignited his lightsaber. 

_Kylo Ren_

Rey took her saber from her belt and ignited the blue blade. "Ben." She spat, " How did you get here? " 

His booming laugh shook the planet. "Fool! I am everywhere!" He shown an evil grin, " Your friend found that out... " 

He pointed with his saber to Finn's body. 

Rey charged, swinging her saber at his torso. But to her surprise she passed straight through him. Not leaving a mark. 

"You see?" The Sith laughed, "I am unstoppable! "

Rey roared and charged again, still passing through him as if he were a hologram. She was growing frustrated now. 

"I will be back!" He snarled. "I will be back!" 

He vanished into a cloud of snow. Rey sliced through the cloud, but nothing was there. She dropped her saber and yelled out angrily at the sky.

________________________________________

"No!" She yelled as her eyes snapped open. She sat up quickly, and a stab of pain exploded down her spine. She hissed through her teeth, it was a dream. She was still injured. 

She shook her head and glanced around the room. Finn wasn't back yet, and the Fox was still at her side. 

Rey turned her head and glanced outside. It was almost sunset, Finn would be back soon. She felt somewhat paranoid now. 

_What if he wouldn't come back? What if he is laying outside dead right now..._

She began to feel tears roll down her cheeks.

The crystal Fox looked up at the young Jedi. Rey reached down and stroked her log ears. Suddenly the Fox snapped her attention to the entrance. 

Someone was coming.

To Rey's relief, Finn came trotting happily around the corner with the two pups at his heels. He smiled at Rey and walked over to her. He was carrying three medium sized white rodents underneath his arms. 

"Hi!" He said, " How was your time together? " 

"I had fun." She replied, " How did the hunt go? " She eyed the rodents,"Pretty well I presume??" 

Finn grinned as he sat down beside her, " Oh, I had a blast! These little guys are quite the hunters! " He reached over and patted one of the Fox pups on the head. "You should've seen them! They were-" 

He looked at her with concern as he saw the tears on her face. 

" Are you ok? " he asked. 

Rey nodded, "I'm fine. " 

She winced and slowly leaned forward to wrap her arms around his neck. He embraced her gently, unsure of what to say. She rubbed her tears away from her cheeks and held onto him tightly.

"I'm just glad you're alright."


	17. Snow rats

"Umm, how are you planning to cook the white rat things?" 

 Rey watched Finn as he held up the prey he caught. "I have no idea," he admitted, grinning. "But it's better than nothing." 

She had to agree with his comment. They were lucky that they had anything to eat, raw or cooked. On Jakku she never had any meat to eat. Once in a while she would catch a sand mouse, but otherwise she would only eat the green portions that she was given.

 "Hey." Finn said to the mother fox. She turned her head and faced him. "Here's your payment." He tossed one of the rats up in the air. She gratefully jumped up on her hind legs and caught it in her mouth. As the young foxes ran up to her, she sat the rodent on the stone ground and the pups began eating. 

 " They don't seem to mind!" He chuckled, pointing in their direction. "They appreciate their raw meat. " 

Rey rolled her eyes. "Rats are better than nothing." 

 Finn faced her and held up the two stiff rodents, "Take your pick!" He said cheerfully. 

 She smiled and took the smaller of the furry creatures. "Thanks." She said softly. Rey was about to begin to skin the white rat, and suddenly a wild thought snapped into her brain. Her eyes grew wide and she quickly snatched the saber at her belt. 

Finn stopped skinning his rat and glanced over at his friend. "What are you doing?" He asked. 

" I just got this crazy idea! " She said, holding her saber and her rat in her hands. She looked up at him with excitement burning in her eyes. "I think I can cook our food!" 

He frowned. "How? It's so cold-" He realized what she was doing. "Ooh! Yeah!" 

Rey ignited her lightsaber, making the Crystal Foxes jump. Then she took the dead rat and laid it on its side on the ground. She slowly ran the  blue blade over the fur of the animal, cooking it from the inside out. A wonderful smell filled the room. The crystal foxes across the room raised their noses and sniffed the delicious aroma in the air. 

 "Mmm." She heard her friend say beside her. "It smells so good!" 

Rey stopped burning the rat and let it cool off for a bit. Then she took her finger and quickly flipped it over. She took her saber and ran it over the uncooked side. When the entire body of the rat was a dark grey, she finally stopped and began to pull off the burnt skin. 

Finn and Rey watched wide eyed as the burnt skin revealed perfectly cooked meat! They whooped with joy as they eat took a bite of the cooked rat meat. 

"This is delicious!" Finn spoke excitedly as he took another bite. "Almost better than the meat on base!"

 Rey nodded and swallowed. The tasty meat juices that filled her mouth warmed her body up greatly. She sighed happily and pulled off another piece of meat to shove into her mouth. 

 " Noow coom I hoov yos? " She spoke with a full mouth. 

"What?!" Finn laughed, "I have no idea what you just said!" 

 Rey swallowed and spoke clearly. "Can I have yours?" She giggled. He handed her the rat and she cooked his in a few minutes. 

" This is what you call fast food! " He said happily as she handed him the cooked rodent. 

They both ate their rats heartily. Meat juices dripped down their faces, but neither of them cared. They weren't fancy people. 

Within half an hour, both of them were done eating. All that was left was the head, feet, and the bones. 

The fox pups, who were finished eating, laid on their sides and knawed on the bones. The mother Fox walked over and sat down a few feet away from Rey. She watched her cooked leftovers. 

"Here you go." Rey pushed her leftover bones to the Fox. She wagged her shiny tail ferociously and dove in. She laid down beside Rey and chewed on a bone. 

"So, how exactly did you catch these things?" She asked Finn, who was knawing on a bone himself. 

 "Well, after I left the cave i had no idea where to go. " he admitted. "The pups ran away and i followed them." He glanced over at the mother Fox, "I made a promise." 

The Fox growled rhythmly as she chewed on a bone. 

Finn grinned, "Yeah. So I had to keep up with them for miles. They led me to this giant ice berg mountain thing, and in the top was were the snow rats lived. The boy Fox caught one himself. " he tilted his head to the pups. "That's the rat they ate." 

"I used my icicle. "

Rey raised her eyebrow, "Seriously?" 

" Yep! " He looked proud, "The pups would run into the rat dens and chase them out. I would knock them in the head with it each time they would come running out. The rats of course, not the pups. I ended up killing two of those things before it started to get dark. Then I headed back. " 

" Who knew that stupid ice slab would come to use!" She smiled, "Sounds like you had a good time!" 

She shuddered as she remembered her dream. 

"Oh yeah! I had a great time!" He said, tossing a bone up in the air and catching it. Then he sighed, "When do you think the resistance will find us?" 

Rey shook her head, "I don't know. What if they don't even know we are gone? " 

"There's no way!" He said, "Leia knows us, and so does Rose and the other pilots. For sure Poe won't forget us. Plus you are the most important person in the base! "

Rey blushed, and speechlessly looked away. 

"O c'mon!" He punched her shoulder playfully, "Don't be embarrassed. It's true!" 

Rey winced as she was pushed to the side, spasms shot up her spine painfully. 

Finn stopped laughing and backed away, "I am so sorry! I forgot you were hurt!" 

 " It's ok, im just sore. " She placed a hand on his shoulder. 

 "Is it getting any worse?" 

 " No, not really. " 

" That's good. "

The male Fox pup trotted up to Finn and dropped a bone at his feet. He sat down and looked up at him. 

"Uh... Do you want me to throw it?" he picked up the bone and wiggled it around. The Fox jumped up and down, yipping excitedly. 

He tossed the bone across the room. The pup sprinted after it and brought it right back to him. 

"Ah, so you're a retriever!" He told the Fox. The little white creature tilted his head at Finn's voice. 

 "You know, even thought we're stuck here, I'm glad that we have entertainment. " Rey said. 

Finn threw the bone again, "Yeah, I've actually had a pretty good adventure." He glanced over at her, " And I'm glad you are here with me. " 

Rey smiled, "Me too."

They talked about animals and people and stories for multiple hours. The pup finally grew tired from his fetch and fell asleep at his mother's side with his sister. The wind outside was growing strong, and was beginning to blow into the cave. 

Finn and Rey were beginning to grow tired as well. They were about to make their bed until suddenly the mother Fox became alert. She stared at the dark entrance, growling softly. Rey, who was standing up now, slowly walked over to the foxes. 

"What's she growling about? " Finn asked as he laid out the blankets. 

Rey felt the fear radiating off the animals body. She began to growl more deeply and bare her teeth. 

"Something is coming. " She said. Suddenly she began to feel a presence, a presence growing closer. 

The wind outside was too loud to hear any footsteps. Finn dropped the blankets and took Rey's lightsaber. "If it's that monster again, get away. Understand?" He told her. He ignited the blade. 

"What?" Rey protested " But I can't just leave you! "

The mother Fox padded up and stood in front of the two of them, she was still growling. The pups were still fast asleep in the corner.

"I'm not kidding, if it is him stay away." He ordered her, " Me and the Fox can handle it." 

Before she could respond, a big shadow appeared from the dark entrance. It wasn't fully dark yet, but she couldn't tell what it was. Then the shadow stepped inside the cave. The mother Fox barked viciously. 

But the shadow suddenly shown a flash light at them, lighting up the whole cave. "What?" A voice said, " Rey? Finn? " 

Finn turned off the lightsaber. "Is it...is that..? " he studdered. 

Rey recognized the voice, "Poe!" She cried excitedly. 

"It is you guys!" The shadow shined the flash light on the ceiling, lighting up the entire room. Sure enough the Orange and white uniform of Poe was revealed. 

_They were found!_


	18. Trouble

"Buddy!" Finn ran to his friend. He gave him a quick brotherly hug and a pat on the back, nearly knocking him over. 

 Poe laughed and pushed him away. "Dude! I thought you guys were dead!" He turned away from Finn and looked over at Rey. She smiled and slowly walked towards him.

 "Hey girl!" He said excitedly, and began to run to her. 

 "Careful!" Finn shouted behind him, " She hurt her back! " 

The pilot slowed down, "What? How?" 

 "We'll explain it later." Rey replied, " How did you ever find us?! " 

He gently hugged her and patted her back. "I'll tell you later, as of right now we've got to go." 

 Finn appeared beside her, "It's getting dark." She felt him wrap his arm around her shoulder. 

There was a sharp bark behind them, and they all turned around to see the Crystal Critters watching them curiously. 

"And this?!" Poe laughed and pointed to the foxes, " You guys are out here for two days and you're already part of a wolf pack?!"

Finn chuckled and began to walk out the entrance. "C'mon, let's get home-aah! " He yelped as BB8 rolled over his foot. The little droid sped after Poe, ignoring Finn's protests. 

He caught sight of Rey and beeped happily. He rolled up to her excitedly, yet carefully, making sure to not run over her feet. Rey smiled and knelt down to pat his metal head. 

 "Why do you hate me?" Finn asked the droid as he passed. 

BB8 beeped questionably.

Finn reached down and lifted the blankets off the ground.  He walked over to Rey and Poe. "Anything  else to grab?" 

 " I don't think- " Her breath was taken away as a sharp pain shot up her back. She sunk back down to her knees. 

 "Are you ok?" Poe asked, kneeling down beside her. 

She shook her head, "No, it's getting worse." 

Finn ran over to her, "Can you stand?" 

" Hold on. " She held onto a ledge on the wall and attempted to pull herself up. Finn reached down to help her but she brushed him away. She slowly got to her feet and stood there for a while. 

"You shouldn't be walking." Poe told her, and he grabbed his com link. " I'll call for help. "

Rey glared at him, "No. I can make it to your ship."

" You can't walk-" Finn protested. "Let's just get some help." 

" I can walk! " Rey spoke a bit too harshly. Both men lowered their eyes and backed away. She sighed, feeling embarrassed. "I'm sorry. But please, I can make it there."

" Ok, let's go. " Poe said as he shined the flashlight in front of them. 

Rey took one tiny step at a time, and she managed to make it to the entrance of the cave. Poe shined the light on some object in the distance, and to Rey's surprise the Millennium Falcon appeared.

"You flew the Falcon?" She asked in amazement, "How? I thought you only flew xwings?"

He chucked, having to yell over the winds. " I can fly anything. Isn't that right Finn? "

"Yep!" She heard Finn say, " Including Tie Fighters! "

She shook her head and kept walking. The wind blew her side to side, and her hair would surely be a mess.

BB8, go open the ramp!" Poe said. The little droid sped off without a word and was enveloped into the falling snow. Although the ship was only about 20 feet away, it was almost impossible to see. The snow and winds were so heavy that she could barely see the cave anymore.

The ramp to the Falcon opened, and BB8 rolled out. He warbled something Rey couldn't understand and then began to beep frantically. 

"What?!" Poe shouted, " I can't hear you! " 

Suddenly a deafening roar rose over the wind. They spun around and saw a massive ice monster appear out of the blizzard. Rey yelped and dodged a swinging arm.

"What is that thing?!" Poe yelled. 

"Not you again!" Finn said, "Rey! I need the lightsaber!"

She reached down and felt for her saber. An icy chill spread over her body, much colder than the ice or wind would ever be. "I...I don't have it! Where is it?! " She cried. 

The animal roared again, and took a step towards them. It's foot shook the ground. 

_We are hopless, because of me..._

Suddenly she felt something press its paws into her side. She winced, believing it was another snow monster. When nothing attacked, she glanced over and realized it was the Crystal Fox. She was on her hind legs, and held Rey's saber in her jaws.

"Yes!" She cried. Taking it and handing it to Finn. She then turned and held out her hand to push the monster with the force. Poe shot at its head with his pistol and Finn swung his saber at its legs. He managed to slice its knee open, making it roar in pain. 

"Hurry! Let's go!" Poe shouted as he ran to the ramp, Finn and Rey ran after him. She felt no pain as the rushes of adrenaline ran through her body, but she felt stiff and sore. She couldn't run her full speed.

The monster roared angrily and charged after them, his giant footsteps thundering the ground with each step.

"Poe!" Finn shouted, keeping in place with Rey. "Run ahead and start up the engines! " 

The pilot glanced over and frowned. He opened his mouth to protest , but he quickly shut it. After a few moments, he silently nodded and sped away. 

I'm an instant, Poe was up inside the Falcon. He started the engine and the ship hummed to life. The three crystal critters ran ahead, and fled up the ramp. The two pups scurried inside, while the mother turned and watched Rey and Finn run. 

"Go!" Rey shouted, "Run ahead! " 

Her friend didn't respond, instead he wrapped his arm around her waist and half carried/half dragged her across the icy ground. She took a quick glance over her shoulder. 

_Big mistake_

The monster was right on their heels now. Each slash of his long claws was only a few inches away from their heads.

They both yelped as it's hand scraped across their backs.

They were almost to the ramp now. Finn literally shoved Rey in front of him. To her surprise this gave her a boost, and sent her flying towards the ramp. She managed to stay on her feet, gliding over the ice. She slowly slid to a stop at the bottom of the entrance. 

Rey grabbed the pipes above her and began to pull herself up the ramp until she realized that Finn wasn't behind her. She looked over her shoulder and froze. 

Finn had stopped running. He had the lightsaber ignited, and was swinging it at the furious monster. The white creature roared angrily and flung his hand at the human below him. Finn was agile, but not agile enough. He was knocked to the ground, and laid there in the cold snow. 

It was a scene so familiar, one that she remembered so well...

"Finn!" Rey screamed from the top of her lungs. She felt her heart beat rapidly as she watched the creature lift his foot. Finn quickly lifted his head at the sound of her voice. He looked up and saw that the monster's foot above him. He rolled out of the way just as it brought its leg down. 

 Out of the corner of her eyes, Rey saw a blur of white dash by. To her surprise the Crystal Fox sped away from the ship, sending up clouds of snow behind her as she ran. The Ice Wookie roared and was about to swing another fist at Finn until the Fox ran up and bit the back of his leg. 

His savage growls became a fearful whine as he struggled to shake the little canine off his leg. But she held on tightly, refusing to let go. Blood began to trickle down the sides of his hairy calf. But finally the Ice monster did a quick shake with his bloodied leg and sent her flying off. She yelped as she hit the ground and rolled, laying there motionless. 

Rey limped down the ramp. "Hey! Snowflake!" She shouted, "Over here!" 

The monster raised his massive head and peered over at her through the heavy snow. He didn't move at first, but Rey caught his attention when she began to bang her fist on the metal frame. He snarled furiously and stomped after her. 

"Rey! What are you doing?!" Finn cried, getting to his feet and running towards the Falcon. To Rey's relief, the Fox shakily got to her feet and shook the snow off her body as she trotted after him. 

Rey used the force and blew salty rocks up into the Ice Wookie's face. He screeched in pain as he rubbed his face. 

"What's going on down there?!" She heard Poe shout above her. She began to hear his footsteps as he ran down the hall to the open ramp.

The monster was still rubbing his eyes, but Finn was still too far away. He would reach the ship, but the monster would have time to grab onto the ship and prevent them from getting away. 

"Wait!" Rey shouted, keeping her eyes on the incoming creature. " Get the Falcon to start flying, hurry! Just keep it low to the ground until my signal! " 

"What?!" He protested, "Are you sure?!" 

" Now! Before we all become a midnight meal! " 

In just a few seconds, the Falcon jerked as it lifted off the ground. Then it slowly drifted across the powdery ground. Rey stood at the bottom of the open ramp, waiting for Finn and the Fox to get to the ship. 

The two of them had a good lead from earlier, but the monster had recovered and was gaining on them. Finn was only about ten feet from the bottom of the ramp now. He was so close...

"Hurry!" Rey told him urgently, " Faster! You're almost there! " 

He was breathing hard, running as fast as he could. The ship was flying faster and faster as it prepared to take off. "I-I'm trying! " He panted as he pressed himself to go quicker. Even the Crystal Fox beside his was having a hard time catching up. Her tongue was hanging out of the side of her mouth as she galloped.

Rey spun around and snatched a rope that hung on the wall behind her. Where it came from? She had no idea. 

She tied it around the ladder that led to one of the gun rooms, and then tied the other end around her waist. Running back down to the end of the ramp, she came to a sudden stop as she reached the end of the rope. There was just enough rope for her to lean over the edge of the ramp without falling off. 

Rey leaned over the side and stuck her hand out. They were closer now, only about 5 feet away from her hand. "Grab my hand!" She shouted over the noise of the engines. 

Finn reached down in the middle of his stride and scooped up the Fox. Then he launched her into Rey's arms. She snatched the animal in midair and gently set her down beside her. The crystal critter shook her fur and ran up into the ship. Rey then turned back to face her friend. He reached out his hand and his fingertips touched hers. 

"I-I can't make it!" He cried. 

The monster had almost caught up with the ship. It was right behind Finn, and in a few minutes it would be able to reach the Falcon. 

"Yes you can! " She told him. "Just grab my hand!" 

Reaching out as far as her body would allow her, she shouted. " Now Poe! " 

She began to feel the ship lift up, "Jump! " She screamed. Finn leapt forward and grabbed her hand. The ship lifted higher off the ground, and the snow monster was no longer in reach. 

Rey brought her other hand out and held his arm tightly. They both looked down and saw that the landscape below them was growing smaller. Finn was still dangling over the edge of the ramp. Rey strained to pull him up, but her aching back out a quick stop to it. Sharp pain shot up her spine as she pulled.

"I can't lift you!" She winced, " You're too heavy! "

Finn reached one hand up and grabbed the ledge of the ramp. Slowly but surely, he began to pull himself up. 

Rey let go of his hand and clutched at his jacket, afraid that he would fall. With one last strain, he finally pulled himself up over the edge.

He stood up quickly, held onto Rey and pulled them both inside the Falcon.  She reached over and pressed the button to close the ramp, then both of them collapsed on the floor.


	19. On the ship

Rey lifted her head from the cold ground. her head ached, and her entire body stung from the impact. She slowly sat up and held her hand against her forehead. "Are you ok?" 

 Finn still had his arm wrapped around her waist. She realized that his actions had cushioned her fall and kept her back steady. He got up and brushed himself off. "I'm ok. That was close!"

 Rey frowned as he helped her to her feet. "Why did you do that?" 

He looked at her questionably , "What?" 

" Why did you stay behind? " She spoke darkly, "Why did you fight that thing?"

" I don't know. " He mumbled, "Just instincts i guess." 

" You could've been killed! " She exploded, a tad bit too violent than she meant to be. 

"Yeah?" Finn stood up straight, "But we got away, that's what's important-" 

She cut him off, "But what if we didn't get away?! What if I wouldn't have grabbed your hand?! I would have had to watch that monster kill you as we flew away! I would never forgive myself! " 

 At that moment, BB8 came rolling in excitedly. He rolled up and ran into Rey's leg. She pushed him away, "Not now!" She yelled. The little droid lowered his head and slowly slunk out of the room. 

Finn reached a hand out towards her, "Rey, it's ok." 

" No! " She shouted, flinching away. "It's not ok!" 

She glared at him, but slowly began to feel her anger fade away as she saw the heartbroken expression on Finn's face. "I'm sorry I scared you, but I had to protect you." He said gently. "You would've done the same thing for me, and you know that. " 

Rey sighed and glanced over at the closed ramp door. The three crystal critters were curled up in the corner. The mother Fox licked her flustered pups' heads soothingly, her blue eyes fixed on Rey. 

 "It was her." She nodded her head curtly towards the fox. " She saved you. If it weren't for her you'd be dead. " 

Finn nodded, "You're right." 

 Rey opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off. 

 "But you know how many times you saved me?Remember Jakku? Without you I wouldn't have ever gotten away from the First Order. And when you lifted the rocks on Crait. You didn't just save me, you saved everybody! And back at the forest on Starkiller. You fought a Sith Lord just to protect me! ME! A lowly stormtrooper! Not a hero of the Resistance! "be

Rey met his eyes, "But you're my friend. I couldn't just watch you die." 

"Exactly. And I felt the same way back there. You were injured, and couldn't defend yourself." He said. "Now if you weren't hurt, we could've fought it off together."

 He handed her the lightsaber. She took it and peered at it with emotionless eyes.

 "I just wish I could've killed that stupid thing." She whispered. 

 Finn chuckled, "I know you want to, but let's get home. Maybe he'll show up at the base someday, and we can take care of him them." He winked. 

She smiled and hooked her saber to her hip. Then she hissed between her teeth and glanced over at the doorway. "I need to apologize to BB8. I feel bad, I was so mean to him."

" He is very forgiving, to you at least." Finn said, turning back to face her. "How's your back?"

Rey shrugged and slowly stretched her sides, " It actually feels better. Just a little sore, that's all. " 

"That's good," he replied, "Nothing must be broken, maybe just sore muscles and bruising?"

 She nodded, "Yeah, I think you're right."  She took a step towards the doorway, "Let's go find Poe."

 Finn smiled, "Yeah, I bet he's wondering where we are."

*************************************

Finn and Poe were sitting side by side in the pilots seats, deep in a conversation. Rey was sitting in a small plush chair low to the ground. She watched BB8 as he sat beside his master. He looked really sad. 

"BB8." She said softly. The two men were talking so loud that they didn't hear her, but the droid did. He turned his head to face her. Rey motioned him with her hand. He slowly rolled across the room and came to a stop in front of her.

Rey sighed, "I'm sorry for yelling at you back there." She put her hand on his dome head. 

He looked up at her and beeped quietly. 

"I know, and I'm really really sorry." She said. "It's just been a rough day, please forgive me." 

To her relief, BB8 beeped happily and rolled into her leg. She smiled and embraced the little ball. He warbled softly into her arms. 

"I love you too little guy." 


	20. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three days later:

"You two ate what?!" Rose burst out laughing, nearly making milk spray out her nose. 

Poe chuckled and set his glass on the table. "Yep, when I found them they had turned savage! Living in a dog pack, eating rodents, I mean c'mon! You two were out there for what? About 72 hours? " He punched Finn's arm playfully. 

They all laughed. The Four friends were sitting at a table in the cafeteria. Rey and Finn talked about their adventures as they ate dinner.

"You know, now that I realize it..." Finn chuckled, " We really didn't have to eat those nasty things. " He glanced over at Rey. "Poe got there right as we finished eating, so we wouldn't have starved. "

She quickly swallowed the bread in her mouth, "Ok, no." She said, " It was YOUR idea to go hunting with your stupid ice slab! " 

Rose giggled, "He hunted with an icecicle??" 

 "Why yes," Finn sat up straight proudly, " And I was successful! I caught three rats! Isn't that right Rey? " 

She rolled her eyes and smiled. 

 Poe raised an eyebrow, " Wow, I didn't even know that was possible. " 

 "He didn't do it by himself you know." Rey added. " He had help from the crystal critters. " 

Rose gasped at their name, "Oh! I love those foxes! They are just so sweet!" 

 " Sure they are... " Finn muttered under his breath. 

 "Oh, I see. You're just embarrassed that you couldn't catch anything without their help." 

Rey and Rose  _ooooed_ at Poe's comment. Then they sat back and watched the argument continue. 

"What do you mean by that?" Finn said smoothly. 

 Poe set down his fork in his empty tray and leaned back, "Well, I would be embarrassed if I needed help from a dog-"

 "Fox." Rose chimed in, "They're foxes." 

 " Whatever, but I would be embarrassed if I had to have help from a wild animal to provide food. " he held up his hand, "Just sayin man. No offence." 

 Finn smirked and nodded, "None taken, but I would like to see which of us could survive the longest."

 Poe scoffed, "We know who the winner would be on that one." 

 " Me of course! I would have the crystal critters on my side. " 

The pilot squinted his eyes, "Hmm, I might have to prove this to you some day..." 

 " Same here, " Finn replied, "But not now, it's getting late." He pointed to the clock across the room. 

"Oh my gosh!" Rose gasped, " It's 10:30 already!? " 

"Time flies by when you're having fun." Finn said, " I've gotta get out of here. Leia has already assigned me a patrol mission in the morning, although I've only been back for a day. " 

Rey laughed, "Finn, it's been two days since we got back!"

He shrugged, " I'm still tired! "

 "I hear you buddy!" Poe said, " I've got to drop off some supplies to some planet far from here tomorrow afternoon." 

Finn frowned, "Lucky."

" Well, maybe I can get Leia to let you come with me. " The pilot said excitedly, "Jess is getting tired of delivering supplies, she prefers to stay at base. She would be happy doing a patrol in the morning! "

Finn perked up happily, "Awesome! I'm looking forward to it!" 

" We will get to explore a new place! Neither of us have been there before! "

" Which planet? " Rey asked. 

"I think it's called Loth, not sure." Poe responded, " I guess I'll find out tomorrow."

 " Never heard of it. " She said, "Good luck though, be sure to make it back in time for dinner." She pointed to him and Finn, "Or else it'll be Rose and I eating your plates. " 

They all laughed and threw their trays away. Together they walked down the long hallway. Dropping Poe and BB8 off at their room first, and then next was Finn. They told eachother goodnight, and was about to go their separate ways until Rey stopped him before he went inside his room. "Stay safe out there, ok?" 

He smiled and gave her a quick hug. "I'll be fine, I'm going with Poe. He'll protect me. Or I'll get attacked by BB8, one of the two. " 

They laughed and told each other bye. Rey ran up after Rose, who was waiting for her at the corner. 

The two girls walked side by side down the halls. Their rooms were not far from eachother, just as Finn and Poe's were.

 "So what are you going to do tomorrow Rey?" Rose asked. 

She shrugged, " I wasn't assigned anything, so I guess I have tomorrow off. What about you? " 

"Same." The mechanic replied, "I'm off tomorrow too. You wanna hang out until the boys get back? "

"Sure! I was planning on going for a walk around the base with the foxes. " Rey said, "You are welcome to join if you'd like! The pups like to play fetch, you'll like that. And I need your help naming them, you're good at names."

Rose smiled, "Yeah! That would be so cool! Too bad you can't have them inside. " 

"Leia said that they would cause trouble, and others might not like the idea of having wild animals loose inside. But they seem happy living outside, and she's fine with the idea of them around the base. "

"I bet the kids will love them!" Rose said, then she stopped. " There's my door, g'night! " 

"Night!" Rey walked a few more steps to her room and went inside. After locking the door, she immediately ran to the window and opened it. She stuck her head out in the frigid air and whistled. The sounds of thundering pawsteps echoed in the night. She could make out the white figures of the foxes as they ran up to her window. The two pups yipped excitedly, jumping up on their hind legs and scratching at the wall. 

"Shh! " Rey hushed them, "Someone will hear you!"

She reached down and lifted the two pups up one by one. She set them down on the ground in her room, and they curled up on the dirty covers in the corner. 

Rey patted the ledge and the mother Fox leapt in gracefully. She landed on the ground without a sound.

Rey closed the window and sat on the edge of her bed. She reached over and took the two small pills that lay on her desk. Next to them was a glass of water. These were given to her from the medical droid. They helped ease the aching muscles in her back. 

After swallowing the pills, she laid down and covered herself with the blankets. The mother Fox jumped up on the bed and curled up at her feet. Rey was about to call the pups too, but they were already fast asleep in the corner. 

Rey turned off the lamp beside her bed. She laid her head on her pillow and sighed contently. All the talking and medical checkups throughout the day had worn her out, she was glad to be back in her soft bed.

It was good to be home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End
> 
>  
> 
> Hope you guys liked my story! Thank you for the wonderful comments and the kudos!! :-D I really really appreciate you all! I am going to be working on a new Christmas themed work, going to go along with my series. Be sure to keep a lookout for it! God bless you my friends! And have a wonderful evening! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Remember, I absolutely LOVE getting feedback from you guys! Good or bad, it doesn't matter! So you are more than welcome to write me comments throughout this story. Thanks!


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